Sound of silence..

And the vision that was planted in my brain..Still remains..Within the sound of silence..

“In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

“Fools”, said I, “You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you”
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence”

–Simon & Garfunkel

I came across this line “if you hear carefully you can actually hear the sound of silence”. I automatically connected it to this classic. I have always believed in the the message this song conveys. It talks about unfinished business, swallowing words, unsettled scores, mute expressions.. It talks about city life and what they say about it.. cities are nothing more than thousands of people who are lonely together.. I don’t think one feels as alone in a quiet, desolate place where there is vibrance, spontaneity, genuine smiles, soft spoken words and the freedom, independence, and the sense of empathy and open mindedness so that there is no NOISE INSIDE AND SILENCE OUTSIDE.

Its like a ritual everyone seems to have mastered in their own way. Wake up wear your mask. masquerade around the whole day.. end your charade when you are on your own and start over.. I don’t see/feel any soul!

I look at people in clubs and restaurants greeting strangers with a gush of new found love and enthusiasm. They don’t fool me. Its unfortunate we resort to strangers and people we barely know and shots and fast cars to make us feel better about ourselves. Wish there was this sense of community where you know you can be your way, speak your mind, not be misunderstood, where good intentions are not judged, and good deeds do not go unacknowledged. The fear, the restraint, the scars never really fade.. They get embedded in the silence which not your heart but your existence validates.

I think this is how blogs started and made their way. Everyone wants to be earnestly heard and sincerely accepted. Anyway everything seems to be virtual.. things and people.. I don’t think there is any difference between reality and virtuality left.. Nothing is real and nothing is virtual and yet there is need to define a name, time, space for everything in life. Arrange things like lego blocks or rehearse like you were going up on stage and join the herd. Vanish in the crowd and become a nonentity.

“hearts and thoughts they fade away”- Pearl Jam

I always feel music and specially good song writing. I think they know, they see, they feel, they try to reach out way more than regular people. Such writing can stem only from deep and strong thought. first hand experience, close observations, overwhelming emotions and yes there is always a heartbreak involved in one way or the other. Only when your heart is shattered and you’re either in pain or recovering can it feel so much emotion and try to translate it to the world outside at large. Otherwise you are too busy being happy and seeing life with rose squinted glasses to take a step back and really think. Its when you don’t want to feel feelings do feelings leave u feeling helpless the most. When you have to try to “move on” or “get over it” and it doesn’t happen naturally like evolution and somewhere its urged or you are pushing yourself too hard.. it happens that your heart just gets busted..

So much so that you can hear whispers of the ghosts of the past, or drown the sounds of people around you, or press the mute button on the world moving outside your window.. and enter the sound of silence..

I wish we did not have to hear the stories that silence narrates.. most of them don’t have happy endings..