Beautiful Silence

Rain pattered on the roof, tinkling like a multitude of bells before it gathered in small rivers falling off the slanted roof and thumping on the stone path. The pond was overflowing swollen from the rain and fat, sleek coy skimming the water's surface relished the heavy precipitation.

Eyes closed, breathe deep.

There is beauty in the silence.

Ominous gray clouds, stained with smudges of blue and purple, roll together, rumbling as they enter a dance of sorts, one that lights the sky bright white. Lighting slit the sky and cast the

Traditional Japanese garden in stark relief before the thunder faded, echoing hollowly in the distance.

Back straight to ground your center; the breeze upon the porch caresses your skin.

There is beauty in the silence.

Black masked and curious, Mr. Tanuki's feet chased circles across the tatami. Squawking and flapping, Piyo joined his companion in a game of tag. The pair paused as the thunder crashed, to peer at their master. Quivering from fear of the disturbance to their peaceful existence, they tugged upon his clothes. There was no response.

In striving for nirvana lose grasp of reality; meditation is the key to ultimate tranquility.

There is beauty in the silence.

Light footsteps fell upon the floor, gentle and deliberate. Sunlight spilled through the open sliding doors catching and refracting off the dew that clung to his pale hair. The storm had finally abated.

"Takashi!" Honey exclaimed flinging his small arms around his cousin's neck. "Did you sit out here alone during that storm!"

"Yeah."

"Silly, Takashi, how can you meditate out on the porch when there's a storm threatening to blow the house down?"

He stares at Mitskuni but doesn't reply immediately. "Beauty is not only in silence."