silence and darkness

chicago skyline from lake michigan, august 2007

when considering light, darkness is also considered, however consciously or unconsciously, because one does not exist without the other. in fact, darkness is only perceived as such in relation to light. it is a fact that hardly anyone ever really experiences pure darkness on earth unless deep within its crust. there is no true black. there is always some light, however faint, that makes us perceive something as black in relation to something lighter. therefore, "darkness" implies an absolute that hardly really exists. another word, silence, implies an absolute that also does not really exist, and though darkness and silence relate to two different human senses, both refer to an unreachable extreme. they are often used interchangeably in literature to emphasize feelings presented by emptiness. i would like to argue that both silence and darkness can be expressions of rich quality that can overwhelm us just as much as can light and noise. the difference is the elegance of subtlety that darkness and silence offer the imagination. light and noise focus attention leaving little choice, but darkness and silence intrigue mystery that suggests endless possibilities.