Today there will be a two minute silence, an act of Remembrance. How many will hear it?

“‘Sound!’

‘Quite. Do you realise that the word silent and the word listen are comprised of the same set of letters arranged in a different order?’

‘And what can be gained from listening to the silence I wonder?’

‘Well, nothing actually because you can’t listen to silence you have to listen in silence. Try it!’”

Heart of Albion: Tales from the Wondrous Head

Outside the world sleeps, birds are silent, there is no noise from the road in the pre-dawn darkness. I have to get up. It was the silence that woke me. It often does.

The kettle is on, filling the kitchen with prophetic, protective noise. The fridge hums and the computer whirrs. The dog whimpers and chases birds in her dreams, snoring occasionally. I am grateful. It is, for me, a…