"But silence isn’t just relief from noise for me. Silence allows me to think. To be creative. I can’t write in a noisy environment. I need quiet. I don’t know how people write in cafés or coffee shops." Nicely said! I feel the same way! And I am with Lerge - "I would not say EAGER (to meet my fate.)" I loved hearing him admit "I am not a very good wizard." Clever ending, my friend. It must have been very quiet when you were writing it.
Thanks, Jack. Yeah, I posted the wizard story for paying subscribers so only a handful of people saw it. When I switched to "patronage" I decided I would republish all the paid stories over the next year or two so everyone could enjoy them.
Love it ... the quote, the silence and the wizard tale! Magic.
You probably know this excellent paragraph but I share it on the off chance you don't:
“Silence is not the absence of something but the presence of everything . . . It is the presence of time, undisturbed. It can be felt within the chest. Silence nurtures our nature, our human nature, and lets us know who we are. Left with a more receptive mind and a more attuned ear, we become better listeners not only to nature but to each other. Silence can be carried like embers from a fire. Silence can be found, and silence can find you. Silence can be lost and also recovered. But silence cannot be imagined, although most people think so. To experience the soul-swelling wonder of silence, you must hear it.”
It is one of our favourites ... I think I originally found it in an excellent article in Emergence Magazine, which is always brimful of poetic prose. Glad it struck a chord. Barrie
I can appreciate the quiet moments, but growing up as the oldest of 5 siblings has made me accustomed to chaos. I am the most productive when there’s some kind of noise or commotion around me. I tune things out really easily, lol!
Tuning distractions out is a good skill for a writer to have! I wonder if being a musician makes me hear more intently. When I go to restaurants, I actually hear the music playing in the background. 🤣
My dad is exactly the same! He’s a musician, too. Once we ate at a restaurant with a live band-- the singer was off key and my dad couldn’t focus on anything else 😂
Lerge is a funny and clever wizard, too. And also this is a fun, funny and clever story.
Thanks, Bill. I enjoy a witty wizard story. Even my own. 🤣
I like Lerge's grasp of the finer points in a magical agreement. Very nicely done.
Thank you, Michael. He could have been a lawyer. 🤣
That is the truth, and I am a lawyer, I should know! ;)
🤣 There you go.
Wonderful little tale, Mark!
“I am not a very good wizard.” 😂 Made me chuckle.
Thanks, Alex. Funny wizards are rare. Most are so serious. 🤓
"But silence isn’t just relief from noise for me. Silence allows me to think. To be creative. I can’t write in a noisy environment. I need quiet. I don’t know how people write in cafés or coffee shops." Nicely said! I feel the same way! And I am with Lerge - "I would not say EAGER (to meet my fate.)" I loved hearing him admit "I am not a very good wizard." Clever ending, my friend. It must have been very quiet when you were writing it.
Thank you, Sharron. I appreciate your heartening comments.
Quiet allows us to hear what we need to hear.
"I am not a very good wizard." is my favorite line in the story. Was he joking or brutally honest? I would say he was an extraordinary wizard. 🤓
"But I do enjoy occasionally surfing a wave of silence." 💚💚💚
"The King and the Wizard" is an old favorite! I'm glad you recycled it!
Thanks, Jack. Yeah, I posted the wizard story for paying subscribers so only a handful of people saw it. When I switched to "patronage" I decided I would republish all the paid stories over the next year or two so everyone could enjoy them.
You can't ever trust those wizards- but better they work for you than against you.
So true. I would rather have a wizard on my side than against me. 🤓🧙♂️
Love it ... the quote, the silence and the wizard tale! Magic.
You probably know this excellent paragraph but I share it on the off chance you don't:
“Silence is not the absence of something but the presence of everything . . . It is the presence of time, undisturbed. It can be felt within the chest. Silence nurtures our nature, our human nature, and lets us know who we are. Left with a more receptive mind and a more attuned ear, we become better listeners not only to nature but to each other. Silence can be carried like embers from a fire. Silence can be found, and silence can find you. Silence can be lost and also recovered. But silence cannot be imagined, although most people think so. To experience the soul-swelling wonder of silence, you must hear it.”
― Gordon Hempton
Thank you, JoJo. That paragraph is poetry. Beautiful.
I think we need silence in our lives. But most people insist on filling every second with distractions (like phones.)
It is one of our favourites ... I think I originally found it in an excellent article in Emergence Magazine, which is always brimful of poetic prose. Glad it struck a chord. Barrie
Nice turnabout with the magician, Mark.
Of course, your writing is proof of your magical abilities.
Thank you, John. Writing fiction is magic to me.
I enjoy the quiet moments as well, especially in the mornings when I'm not quiet awake yet.
Yes! I am not a morning person. I need time to get going.
At least an hour. Maybe two, right? 😉
An hour sounds about right. 🤣
I can appreciate the quiet moments, but growing up as the oldest of 5 siblings has made me accustomed to chaos. I am the most productive when there’s some kind of noise or commotion around me. I tune things out really easily, lol!
Tuning distractions out is a good skill for a writer to have! I wonder if being a musician makes me hear more intently. When I go to restaurants, I actually hear the music playing in the background. 🤣
My dad is exactly the same! He’s a musician, too. Once we ate at a restaurant with a live band-- the singer was off key and my dad couldn’t focus on anything else 😂
Michelangelo's Last Judgement and a Damned Soul... https://cwspangle.substack.com/p/michaelangelos-last-judgement-and
🤣 I feel his pain!
3 declares triple delight from MarkStarlinWrites! In silence... about kings and wizards.
Loved all of it! Thank you. ❤️💜💚
I am triple-delighted that you loved what I “writed.” Thank you, 3!