listen

today i am working in my studio...finally! 

after a too long hiatus, i am back into this space again. 

i am doing a lot of thinking, reading and writing. 

some studio days are just like that, 

where you have to do thinking before you do making.

i ran into the following quote, and it made me think of how much talking we do. 

i don't know about you, but i open my mouth far too often;

we need to do more listening. 

and it made me think of my daughter, as she learns how to listen to the world.

on a daily basis i marvel 

that little m can turn to a noise -

to my voice, to the car driving down our street, 

to the birds singing in the trees above her,

to the words in a picture book.

words for my daughter, from walt whitman:

"now i will do nothing but listen.

i hear all sounds running together,

combined, fused, or following, 

sounds of the city,

and

sounds out of the city - 

sounds of the day and the night."

it is a gift to be able to hear.

it is a gift to be able to listen.