"In my possessive stalking of silence, I had sought to capture it, ripping it from its source of holiness. But it refused to be entombed by me. It withdrew so completely I had no way to follow it. When I gave up hope, then it illumined itself," writes Barbara Erakko Taylor. With the careful attentiveness of a poet and the precision of a scientist, the author charts her "sixth-sense of silence."
Taylor learns to quiet her inner and outer house for what she calls "the unfinished symphony." Silence woos her with melodies in different places — in a sequoia forest, in a mall, in a hotel room. Taylor tracks down the solitary child who loved silent walks, daydreams, and reveries. Then she sets up a new house and tries to build silence into her daily routine of prayer, reading, writing, and work. The spiritual practices of listening, imagination, and being present are access roads to the manna she seeks.
In the final chapter, Taylor writes lyrically about the sacramental presence of silence that accompanies sweeping, cooking, and cherishing the beauty of a single flower. This book will open up new doors for all those who desire to nourish their solitary souls.
