Cacophony of Silence

By William Flewelling

My poems sharpen my sight, so that I see better what is there to be seen. I will find some situation or image or nuance that catches my eye, intrigues me. Sometimes, that seeing lends itself an image for me, and then a line, just one at first that, when written down, enters into a cadence, a rhythm, a sense of sound and echo that emerges into a sequence of lines that flow, usually quickly. And then, the lines stop. the images seem complete, and then they announce to me that the poem is complete. That is true whether the image is a raindrop, a face, a pose, a tree, a flower, a bird, a shadow, or the innuendo of faith or country - whatever. This book draws upon poems written some years ago, mostly in the years 2009 and 2015. There are also a few current poems that insist themselves into the collection as they are accumulated in the current year’s file. As I revisit poems of years ago, quite often the occasion presents itself to memory - but not always so. Sometimes, that occasion is as if unnecessary and, indeed, almost in the way of the poem as it has come to be. Revisiting is always a pleasure; it becomes one of the spurs toward forming the collection itself. Indeed, it is the pleasure and the satisfaction in the book that brings it about. Satisfaction is such a boon to life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781665510455

William Flewelling

I am a retired minister from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) living in central Illinois. Led by a request from Mildred Corwin of Manua OH when I arrived there in 1976, I long developed and led a series of bible studies there and in LaPorte IN and New Martinsville WV. These studies proved to be very feeding to me in my pastoral work and won a certain degree of following in my congregations. My first study was on 1 Peter, chosen because I knew almost nothing about the book. I now live quietly in retirement with my wife of 54 years, a pair of dogs and several cats.

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© 2021 William Flewelling. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  12/04/2020

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1044-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1045-5 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Foreword

1. Vacation Plans

2. A Wrought Exposure

3. Two Toying Teens

4. Sounds On A Silent Night

5. The Flash Of Swallows Flying Past

6. One Point Of Victory

7. During The Intercessions

8. Ideals – On Independence Day

9. Her Heart Unleashed

10. The Young Girl Awaits

11. With The Barking Of The Dogs

12. Waiting On Road Construction Work

13. Today She Wore A Dress

14. One Familiar Waitress

15. The Child Reminding Us Of Life

16. An Eye, A Pencil, A Scrap Of Paper

17. The Acrobatic Flight

18. A Bastille Day Group

19. Alive To The Service

20. An Artificial Making Of Mud

21. With Sober, Measured Gait

22. So Quickly Gone

23. A Seated Study

24. They Fly Away

25. Immersed In Domine Deus

26. Total Composure

27. Those Hunting Cats

28. Bach’s Well Of Pleasure

29. The Cherry Snack

30. Tutorial At The Sink

31. Progression On An Afternoon

32. Karate Black Belt Display

33. That Thin Red Band Wrapped Round The Hair

34. In A Sliver Of Time

35. A Simple Song Is Sung

36. Singing Laudamus Te

37. The Solo Voice Enchants

38. Like Unto The Energizer Bunny

39. A Rain As On The Plains

40. Bright Voice

41. The Recognized

42. The Daughter, A Little Girl

43. Not Quite At Hand

44. A Visitor’s Encounter

45. A Troop’s Array

46. Creative Surprise

47. A Former Disappointment

48. An Anxious Flight

49. The Hopper

50. With Arthur, 5:20 AM

51. Thoughts After Seventeen Years

52. Her Lively Eyes

53. Shares From Yesteryear

54. A Seated Joy

55. Along The Pew Ends

56. That Winter Day Of ’66

57. Red Shoes Now … And Then

58. Uncommented Limp

59. Bright Enthusiasm

60. A Table Now For One

61. Voluntary In Prelude

62. Like An August Butterfly

63. A Kitchen Interlude

64. Explosive Liveliness

65. And Still The Action Stirs

66. Shall We Descend?

67. At Tabby’s Place

68. Pleasant To Revisit

69. Outdoors A Moment: 3:30 AM

70. Mirage

71. Apparent Pair

72. Serenaded From The Perch

73. The Ending

74. Atop The Pole

75. A Necessary Entrance

76. For Lunch A Little Late

77. Late One Freshened Evening

78. Someone Used Our Table

79. The Word Is Rooted In Anglo-Saxon Speech

80. Pride Until That Time

81. Along The Rolling Stool

82. Beyond The Plate Glass

83. Serious Employ In Play

84. Woman Waiting At The Airport

85. An Intervening Reef

86. Being Met

87. The Women Attract Him

88. She Came With Family

89. A Moment Wrought In Pleasure

90. The Solo Crow Afoot

91. The Fisherman At Table

92. And Then A Quickened Smile

93. Moving On

94. Incomplete Illusion

95. Peachy, As In Keen

96. Beyond The Other Room

97. Counting

98. Recollected

99. And Pam …

100. Deceptions Reappear

101. By ‘Song of Peace’

102. Grey Stubble Face

103. Out Of A Handel Concerto in B-flat

104. The Armistice For Veterans

105. Columbus

106. Divertimento

107. Brother, Sister, Other

108. A Puckered Irony

109. Inexpressible Uncontained

110. A Walk Along And Back Again

111. Tentative, With Almost-Smile

112. The Yellow Dog

113. Arrival With A Pant

114. The Salving Solitude

115. Taking The Stairs

116. A Morning Thunderstorm

117. Masked By A Prize

118. Bubbles In Hemispheres

119. That Final Pause

120. The Puppy And The Boy

121. Birthday Greetings To An Old Friend

122. A Suddenly Freshened Wind

123. Grandmother Pleasure

124. The Crows Come Quickly

125. After All

126. Off Balance Moments’ Off Balance