A glimpse of
That vast expansive silence that is our womb.
An offering of 12 pieces, prose and poetry
interspersed with artworks
Table of Contents
This Expansive Silence
1. Love Is Like Water
2. A Blob of Love
3. The Vocal Tribe Of Trees
4. But The Colors Could Not See The Grand Picture
5. Maybe We Are Pollen Grains
6. A Gift To Myself
7. Beauty Is Everywhere. Sitting Quietly, Waiting To Be Seen.
8. They Speak In Silence
9. The Tree Is My Guru
10. If You Hear It
11. Infinite Womb
12. Our Five Friends – The Five Elements
What readers are saying
‘12 drops of Silence’ is a treasure to cherish, it is not a book that you read once. It is to be read again and again when ever mind is in peace or wants to be in peace. While reading I remembered Khalil Gibran. Your writing reminds me of him.~ Anita Nihalani, yoga teacher, prolific writer and poet
An amazing array of thoughts that gently draw you in and give you time to ponder and reflect… on the spaces within and without. To reflect on time and life and the wonder encapsulated in each infinite moment. To drink nectar at this fountain of thoughts. Beautiful.
~ Rachel Thomas. Manipal, Karnataka
Excerpt
This Expansive Silence
Our thoughts, feelings, experiences, ever rising, ever fading away, all distillate into a single expansive silence. This silence is not the oppressive suffocating kind which occurs out of deadlock and frozen communication. This silence is deeply nourishing and loving. It permeates the being and expands into a gentle sense of awe and gratitude. A sense of wholesomeness, of being connected to the universe itself.
It is this expansive silence that accords value to every thought, every experience worthy of being cherished. It is the essence of every speck of beauty we encounter.
***
1. Love Is Like Water
Love is like water.
Water may be cascading down like a waterfall, or it may be in the form of robust waves of the ocean. It may be flowing as a gently gurgling stream. It can be calm and placid as in a lake or swimming pool. Water may be flowing under the ground. You may get just a hint of it, as dew drops on the morning grass.
When Love is heady, passionate, it is like the waves of the ocean. The over-flowing Love of a mother, where she herself is overwhelmed by the intensity and force of Love that she feels, is like water falling rapidly from the mountains. When it is the quiet implicit Love of a father or a reticent mate or even of someone close who may seem unloving, it is like water flowing underground. The Love of a friend, the lighthearted laughter and companionship it brings, feels like dew drops on the morning grass. The calm, still, placid water in a lake or swimming pool feels like the calm Love of a saint for all.
The water in all cases is the same. The Love in all cases is the same.
*
Water takes on the color of its receptacle. In a red bowl it looks like red water. It feels romantic. In a blue bowl, water looks blue. It feels like the Love of a father, mother, mentor or guide. In a green bowl, water looks green. It feels like the loving companionship of a friend.
The water is neither red, nor blue, nor green. It is the same water.
The Love in a romantic relationship, amongst friends, between a teacher and a student, between a parent and child – is not different. It is simply Love. There are no different kinds of Love.
The receptacles, the relationships, are different.
What gives comfort when you look at it is the water, not the receptacle.
More Readers’ Feedback
Good philosophical readIt’s tough to comprehend nature and its equally tough to draw Nature in words which Vani has done. Amazing work. Will look forward to read more. To me it was just the trailer of what must be within her. Keep writing Vani.
~ Arnab Lahiri
All the poems were heartwarming but I particularly liked Love is Like Water, But the Colours Could Not See the Grand Picture, Beauty is Everywhere Sitting Quietly to be Seen. You have beautifully and profoundly interwined the variety and beauty of nature with different aspects of the human condition.
Your book is sure to appeal to anybody who visualizes himself or herself as an integral part of this vast expanse of nature.
~ Hema Gandikota
Your 12 drops of poetic exuberance speak of visions in the silence of the soul. These drops also flow out of sensitivity which sanctifies the human heart. Nature and human nature are identical twins in these poetic write ups – that is the reality of existence. The book’s formatting is very attractive and certainly a feast to the eyes. Do accept my heartiest greetings and blessings.~ Kumar Ravindra, prolific writer and poet, retired Head of English Department – Dayanand College, Hisar
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