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Nothing On The Acsendant

On presence, absence, and learning to sit with what remains

By Michelle Liew Tsui-LinPublished a day ago 1 min read

Today is the International Day of Nothing...when we mark the necessity of a little silence.

Emptiness and space are as important as thought.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. We need space.

Nothing is on the ascendant.

🕯️⬛🕰️⬛🕯️

An empty house, a quiet street,

Where no birds flew and the wind failed to greet

The clocks did pause, its ticks unsure

The world held its breath, the stillness queer.

🕯️⬛🕰️⬛🕯️

Shadows stayed, a touch too long

Visions looming by eye's edge

Its soul empty, bareness strong

Its cold breath cuts, a razor's blade.

🕯️⬛🕰️⬛🕯️

Its quiet surges, wraps and swallows

A chair, now gone, a lamp now blown

Its hunger triumphs, a new gallow 

Nothing ascends its blackened throne.

🕯️⬛🕰️⬛🕯️

When the day was finally done

Blackness stayed, the light now gone

Nothing's soul had triumphed - won

A well-deserved, though unseen throne.

🕯️⬛🕰️⬛🕯️

Original poem by Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin. AI tags are coincidental.

For Mikeydred's January prompt

inspirationalFree Verse

About the Creator

Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin

Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.

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Comments (4)

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  • Shirley Belkabout 17 hours ago

    An introvert's dream vacation

  • 💖This poem brought meditation to my door. I found myself yearning to sit in that empty house, finally deaf to the relentless ticking of a clock. You have inveigled me into a state of peace by giving 'nothing' a body and a brain.

  • Sometimes we need quiet, thank you for another challenge entry

  • BHUMIa day ago

    Nothing is necessary, as you wrote, because it clears the heart. Many times I need my own corner to find myself. You wrote it in a wonderful way in your work. The throne certainly belongs to the unknown behind the throne. These are automatic thoughts that, rest assured, will continue because I liked your work.(Ι believe that your last two post need a star)

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