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.

[Soren]

So true Chris. Each of our senses are so important. I can not imagine not being able to listen to music anymore. Already having difficulty hearing what others say, I can imagine not being able to at all. Well put in your poem all the instances where we rely on or enjoy sound. I liked how you enumerated the subtleties of sounds so often taken for granted.

[Chris Shaw]

Yes music is what my husband struggles with. A new hearing aid should bring some quality back. How we take our senses for granted. Thank you Soren. Have a good day.

[red93]

The World of the hearing impaired must be very different to ours. Almost worse than being visually impaired perhaps. You really made me think about the subject with this one C. Excellent ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

[Chris Shaw]

I agree with you Tony. The feeling of isolation must be awful. We do take out hearing for granted. It can fail as we age. My husband has problems in one ear. Hoping a new far too expensive hearing aid will put some quality back. Thank you and have a lovely day.

[Patricia Wedel]

How would I know if a pending storm was in the heavens if I did not hear the thunder under cover... or hear the knock at my door where a neighbor needed a cup of kindness. The buzzing of Bees 🐝 and the chirping of birds when skies are blue and and clouds burst forth with raindrops that go pity Pat on window panes.

[Chris Shaw]

Such a poetic response dear Pat. Yes all those beautiful sounds of nature that many take for granted would be gone. How sad that would be. Thank you for your precious visits.

Chris

[Beccy]

To see, to hear, to speak, all such a vital part of being alive and experiencing to the full the world around us, though I confess I am with jacob here, when of all the senses, I would fear the loss of sight the most.

It is a humbling thought that there are those among us who will never hear the drone of honey bees, or the mellow voice of a lover; and we should be ever thankful for the gifts we have been granted.

Beccy.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Beccy for your thoughtful review. I think we all need to appreciate our senses more. The loss of any one of them would make life challenging. All the best to you and your lad.

Chris

[Coyote Poetry]

I do agree dear Chris.
"hearing is a gift, a good friend
a treasure trove since there
are no guarantees that it will
remain unimpaired"
Hearing and eyes. We need and if lost. We would have to learn to live differently. Thank you for sharing your amazing words and thoughts.
Coyote

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Coyote. At times we need to take stock and understand that we take some things for granted. Thank you for reading. Be safe and well dear poet.

Chris

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome dear Chris and I do agree.

[Ruth]

Of late, silence has been my companion in sorts of ways so this resonated, to be locked in a world of such can work for the good and the bad...to hear is often taken for granted. I have noticed small things with my hearing that are not as good as they used to be, this poem really brings home the silence of not hearing fully, nicely done Chris...

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks Ruth for your review. Good to see you. Take care.

Chris

[Ruth]

Most welcome Chris, always my pleasure. Takecare too :)

[barleygirl]

This really took me by surprise! I've been savoring how utterly quiet the wilderness is, now that everyone is evacuated becuz of nearby fire (I'm not going yet). So I was thinking, how awesome is stillness! But immediately your poem thrust me into a different reality, that of growing up with a mom who wore a hearing aide in both ears & her lack of hearing sometimes defined our family interactions with a noisy 9-kid brood -- she was very sensitive about not being included & being afraid to ask people to repeat themselves, etc. You have chosen the utmost in examples to show the sounds we all take for granted. I was thinking, I appreciate the stillness here right now, but it's only becuz I can HEAR how quiet it is! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Chris Shaw]

Hello Margie, a different kind of silence. Yes, your poor mum, I can understand her frustration. Silence can be wonderful but if it is forced on us it is different altogether. It can be so isolating. Watch those fires. Your friends here are anxious about your safety at the moment. Take great care and thank you for your visit.

Chris

[PamiAnde]

Hello Christine, the first stanza rocked me. The idea that I could hear nothing but my own thoughts. And then you moved to peace with vivid descriptions, hearing, seeing, breathing, appreciating. I'm not sure you need the last stanza, feels a bit preachy, and you've shown just that with your previous ones. Beautifully done.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thank yous for your review and your suggestions for improvement of my poem PamiAnde. Much appreciated.

Chris

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

Sound carries a lot of joys in life, but they can be taken for granted so often. It's nice to read a poem like yours to help enjoy such things daily. tyfs

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Cyprian for your visit. Much appreciated.

Chris

[Gee]

As with most men my hearing is tuned to be very, very selective, and my long suffering, good lady wife would gladly bear witness to this :))
Makes me wonder if you would still be able to recall sounds if struck down deaf or if these memories would fade until gone.
Good morning Christine, obviously enjoyed the read :)
Hope you are all well

[Chris Shaw]

Ah so you do admit men have selective hearing :)) All OK here Gee. I trust same with you and your lovely family. It is a glorious day at the moment. Hope it stays that way. Nothing planned as yet though for us. Thank you for paying me a visit. Take care and happy Sunday.

Chris

[Gee]

We have folk round, the grub prepared and the fire pit ready to light.
Enjoy the rest of Sunday :))

[Chris Shaw]

You too :)