Traffic roaring always roaring, what would the world sound like if it all suddenly stopped. I walk in my favorite park on tree-lined paths alongside the river. It's rained for days, the sudden sun and deep blue sky seem almost foreign. The park was closed yesterday with water still splashing over its trails. Even today the river is high and fast, kissing the bridges and rushing along vaulted banks. Families pass with children and trikes and snacks. Visiting friends stroll past, soaking in the sun and gentle fall warmth. I'm suddenly alone with the peace of the world. Leaves crunch beneath my feet, birds call from the trees, and water splashes and laps at newly submerged trees. Yet beneath it all, that low constant roar from the highway crossing the bridge two miles back. It's not overwhelming, and it doesn't steal the beauty of the day, but it is incessant. I wonder what silence really sounds like. Do we even know anymore. Is there a world without white noise somewhere and what would we do if we found it?