The Silent Sound in my Head
Click.
The sound of a spark,
or the snap of a radio
when you first turn it on.
It could be the sound of nature
like the beetle that goes click.
Click.
You've heard it before,
you know what I mean,
but I wonder...
have you ever heard it like I hear it.
Always just inside
and always one-half inch
above my left ear.
The sound itself is not so unusual,
most of us hear sounds all the time -
real or imagined.
What happens next,
That is what's worth writing about.
From this mysterious, unannounced, unexpected,
click
I watch in my mind
and I feel with attentive nerves
as this silent sound in my head travels
across the space and through the gray,
travelling straight as an arrow, unwavering,
from left to right.
It moves like a light that can be felt.
And finding its way to the outermost edge of my skull
it continues like a shot out into the room
through the fragile walls of my space
until it hits something solid.
Smack.
Like the sound of a book snapped shut,
or a flat hand brought down on the dinner table - Quiet!
And the echo of this silent sound in my head
returns to be heard.
Shhhh,
Listen,
Did you hear that.
Copyright © 1997