Surrounded by Silence

(captcha says fecal)

consider ..............

a life without sound

where you become locked

inside your own thoughts

caught in a world of silence

unable to hear the bark

of branches of a silver birch

as they creak under the weight

of a heavy green canopy

or the drone of honey bees 

as they hover over honeysuckle

tumbling from fretwork trellis

like a fountain in spring

nor would you hear the high

pitch whistle of a red kite as it

soars in flight in a bright blue

sky ready to swoop for a kill 

the thrum of an old engine

polished till gleaming as it

kick starts its way into a brand

new day would be unheard

as would the mellow voice

of a lover whispering sweet words

that you are loved beyond all

measure

hearing is a gift, a good friend

a treasure trove since there

are no guarantees that it will

remain unimpaired

Reviews

[Scatterbrain bookworm]

I really enjoyed reading this poem. It allowed me to appreciate my ability to hear a lot more and makes me wonder just how different and even difficult life without sound is for hearing impaired individuals. Thank you for allowing me to ponder on what life would be like without sound, Chris.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I appreciate them.

[Neville]

The roar of silence is deafening Chris .. you have captured it here well .. as you have it's most magnificent polar opposite.

Neville

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks Neville for reviewing this older poem and leaving me such a nice review:)

Chris

[Neville]

.................................. 👍

[Dave Brown]

another of those things we take for granted until it's too late
I especially like the silver bark branch creaking
Silver barks are good background painting material

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks Dave. Hearing when it goes can really isolate. In fact all of our senses we can take for granted. They are all precious to us. Have a good day.

Chris

[Weeping willow]

Such beauty expressed within your words, as we take so much for granted ;-} Hearing, Seeing, and speaking are all gifts sent from above to a complicated world where no one seems to see these as blessings. If you are born whole, then that is a blessing in itself ;-] Thanks for the reminder.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Weeping willow for sharing your thoughts. We do take for granted in the main the gift of our senses. It’s worth giving thought to their true value once in a while. Always a pleasure having a visit from you.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

To silence the voices inside my mind sometimes I have often thought would be a great mercy. They are cries of injustice; the ghosts of war, the sighs of the broken-hearted, the whimperings of the innocent and the gasps of the dying and defeated. I have stood and shouted, no more. I have painted a world of flowers and planted a garden of peace. I have sought the silence of distant stars in whispered prayers to God. But the injustice continues, the war rages on, the trust of the heart is betrayed, the innocent continue to suffer and blood continues to be shed in vain for greed and the exaltation of inhumanity. Life has become so cheap that it makes one ashamed to be called a human being. These alien creatures cannot be the same as I. Or perhaps I am the alien creature in world full of monsters with no love, no hearts and no conscience. It is difficult to endure being an orphan born among beasts whose only purpose seems to be to destroy everything good and just and right. These are what the voices say inside my mind. And I try to deny them their sound. I try with all my might to mute them and silence them. But every day they grow louder like the rattling of sabers over bloody corpses. So I stop my ears with my fingers. But still my eyes are open to their truth and now, my hands, thus occupied, become completely useless to help. And hope dies a little more each day.

[Chris Shaw]

The voices in our heads. A different perspective on my poem Fabian. Yes, they can be a pain when they won’t be silenced and keep churning round and round causing more and more frustration. A real cry in your response to the troubles of the world. Many thanks for stopping by to share what many others of us are concerned about. Always good to have a visit from you.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

This is so very true. Our senses, while often taken for granted, are so important. I think of the sounds of a thunderstorm, a passing train, a baby's laugh, a cat's purr, or the honk of geese flying overhead. These are just some of my favorites that come to mind. We need to appreciate life in all its facets. Well done.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Linda. A life without sound would be so isolating. It is good to appreciate our senses while we have them and try to understand what that loss means to others. I appreciate your visit and your thoughts.

[W. Barrett Munn]

This is really well done, Chris. I especially enjoyed the anthropomorphic kite. Brava.

Winston

[Chris Shaw]

Dear Winston, pleased you enjoyed this poem. Thank you for the encouraging comments.

[Betty Hermelee]

Dear Chris, I wrote this review three times and was interrupted by an advertisement which wiped it out... so i'm going to be quick.... hearing impairment is a silence that locks some of our senses.... a silent world...it's sorrowful; but these persons can still see and touch, so while silence is terrible, luckily we have other means to enjoy life....I love your compassionate wordage.
Best, B

[Chris Shaw]

Dear Betty. I appreciate your review even more sensing the frustration at a third attempt. Thank you so much for sharing your valued thoughts my friend.

[willweb]

I am a licensed audiologist but I haven't practiced in years. Though I do recall watching a patient, with the use of hearing aids, hear for the first time. I could not stop crying. Beautiful my friend

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you will. That experience must have been incredible. To have hearing restored after silence. A new world opening up.

[Kelly Scheppers]

My husband is vision impaired. Losing the ability of one of our senses is something we don't often imagine happening to us. Until it does. To conceive the isolation, that alone would be unbearable.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Kelly. My husband has a hearing problem. It can cause him difficulties in certain situations. Brought on by advancing years. You are right we don’t contemplate the loss of our senses. In fact I think we take them for granted until we find that we have a problem. I would imagine your own husband’s vision impairment has heightened your own awareness. I appreciate your visit by and thoughts dear poet.