In the Midst of Silence

I tread softly, On a carpet of moss, Hushed by nature’s breath, Among the whispering trees. The stillness holds me close, In the embrace of shadows, Where every sound unspoken, Is a heartbeat of the earth.

The air, thick with stories, Of ages long gone, Lingers sweetly, unyielding, Amid the strands of silence, Where I lay my fears to rest, And hear the pulse of existence, The gentle thrum of being.

— Wole Soyinka

• Wole Soyinka