John-Ward Leighton

LISTENING FOR THE SILENCE

Photograph: ©Copyright 2008 by John-Ward LeightonHeadphones on
trying to establish
my own space.
The jazz pours into my ears
with heavy truck accompanying
in a steady roar
punctuated by quacking human voices.
The cacophony of modern city life
doesn’t give you many quiet choices.
The street presents you with traffic and
people in your face.
Even the homeless have this space
if only to beg or whinge
to gather pennies
for their next street drug binge.
The sound surrounds you
pressing on your being
soon you don’t really hear anything
in the din
as he who seems to be without guilt
ear buds in and iPod on
contributes to the sonic sin.
The faces uncommitted
or angry with chagrin
with only the idiots
or addicted
to have their grins
as slobber dribbles down their chins.
The street encourages sonic violence
and not much encouragement
for those
listening for the silence.