Nothing

There was a program on television about poets and their poetry, mentioning they all wrote about 'nothing'. This led me to think about that. What is 'nothing'? I have no idea, but, let me see what I can do with that thought.

A wife might ask her husband "What is wrong with you?" and his response, "Nothing." A child might be asked, "What are you doing?"' and the response, which all of us have heard more than once , . . . 'nothing'. There are probably dozens of other questions which enlist the same response, but it would not be true reasons, as 'nothing is in reality 'something'.

The child may have been thinking about what he wished he could do, or was laying on the floor looking at the ceiling wondering what the designs were. The husband could have been sulking over a statement made by someone, other than his wife, or was frustrated and angry about something that was not being addressed by his wife, or someone he knew.

I think silence is 'nothing', but in reality it is the absence of sound which we cannot hear at the moment, but, all the while leaves are stirring in the trees, rustling. The wind is moaning as it wafts through the space between buildings, wires hum on the television and the computer . . . yet, if someone asked what you were hearing, you would most likely respond with 'nothing'.

One of the funniest things, I think, is when a mother asks her child "What do you have in your mouth?", and the child responds with 'nothing' as his cheeks puff out and the cookie crumbs spill from his mouth. Is 'nothing' an easy word? YES, extremely easy and it covers a lot of territory.

Acknowledging the artist:

If you asked my granddaughter if she enjoyed painting this picture, she would probably tell you it was fun, but by eating the focal point in her 'still life', she had to be satisfied with her first effort . . . I am. Just a proud gram, what can I say ......Nothing.....no way!