there’s a stress with constant sound
it’s harsh
it smacks
of busyness
of bitterness
you want to return to normal
there are lots of things normal
that are not
normal
what was normal wasn’t good
your system of values was deafening
even now
this silence
is not real
perfect silence
is full
of clarity and bird song
capture what you have gained
how will you hang on
to the precious things?
Stop
you have time to hear
you have time to think
from the inside
...
Annie, Aberdeen ESOL group
From borrowed words from the Zoom session, written in the time of the pandemic