Sometimes in that atmosphere of hushed and restrained voices, it was the only rhythm that counted
Lately I’ve realized that light is one of the most powerful catalysts for evoking personal memory. I found myself trying to still everything in its immense silence, until I realized that light is kin to music. It too carries the rhythm of the world it encloses–the movement of the clouds, punctuating sun or moon, and boom! the deep pause between thunder and lightning. As the clock measured off the seconds between noon and the untangling of limbs from the metal bars of chairs and desks, we digested more than food and information, we took in the light and dwelled on it as it marched across the room dragging its colors through the windows, open or closed. We waited for it to fall full-face and lull us into daydreams. Sometimes in that atmosphere of hushed and restrained voices, it was the only rhythm that counted.” — Julie Patton, from “Deep Song,” Educating the Imagination: Essays & Ideas for Teachers & Writers, Volume Two, ed. Christopher Edgar & Ron Padgett (Teachers & Writers Collaborative, 1994) (via Alive on All Channels)
