quiet and loud

there was a power cut here, in the middle of the day, last week. I was typing at my computer, an email or an essay, listening to the somnolent strains of labradford, when everything clicked off.

my laptop remained on as the battery was fully charged, but as this lasts for a paltry three hours I put it into suspend mode. I was taken aback with how totally still everything was - it was the first time I had experienced total quiet in this room. no computer, no hi-fi, no fridge, no air conditioning. most of the others on my corridor were absent, there must have been a first year midterm on.

to complete the picture, it was also snowing. not violently - the flakes seemed to be absent-mindedly falling from the sky, not caring how quickly they reached their final destination. the sky itself was wholly grey, devoid of any distingushing feature, as if the true sky had been removed for dry-cleaning and this was just a loaner.

everything was hushed, nobody was moving outside -- at least not in what little view of the outside world I can see from my window -- but I didn't feel lonely and isolated, for a change, but something approaching infinite. I lay on my bed and tried to sleep, but was disturbed 5 minutes later by all my machines coming back to life.