The Silence of Dawn

It is dawn as I sit on the back porch, blanketed by the silence - complete silence - of a new day. It is the squirrel who first disturbs the stillness as he navigates the maze of interconnecting tree branches. To the left of me a lizard, in search of breakfast, darts after an unsuspecting bug.

Again, there is silence until a large water bird announces his arrival at the top of a tree with a loud squawk. The air, pleasantly cool, is completely still with the exception of some frayed palm leaves softly swaying in the gentlest of breezes. It is so quiet that you can hear the sound of dew dropping out of the trees and landing on the ground with a soft thud.

Then one by one, very quietly, I can hear the sound of birds as they begin to welcome the new day. A low hum of chatter is slowing growing louder as the day grows brighter. All of the neighborhood inhabitants are waking up and assuming their daily routine. The air is filled with the sound of busyness once again.