The Sound of Solitude

As we sit together, listening back, echoes of 2020’s quiet and noise compose our unusual song of solitude. The obvious, off-beat dissonances in tension with the subtle harmonics lurking in our homes and habits: sirens and then silence, the buzz of news better left unheard, voices on calls through walls, the beeping of the oven timer, and the sighs at sunrise…the eerie volume of hustle and bustle, all dialed down to the normally unknown breath.

In this solitude, we murmur longing, sing belonging, and voice our need. We need each other, we need community, we need safety, and we knead it all into a sour dough — with a prayer that we may rise. In our hearts, with infinite restarts, we do the work.

Looking forward, we see the work as a collective effort, carried through this emergent circle; a circle of you and me, us and thee, sharing songs we’d previously sung to ourselves in solitude.

We are holding the space for this sacred sonic circle. As we are listening for the new year’s bell, we are also hoping to hear your curious voice.