Kaitlin, what a lovely poem! I listened to the stream vidoe you included a few days ago as I pondered and wrote this. It is a bit whimsical and fluffy, but I need both of those today.
This is wonderful, Korie! So thoughtful and thought provoking. I am already thinking about which sounds I might choose? And of all the damage I may have inflicted on my own ears from headphones and too loud concerts over my many years.
Wow Margaret, wow. The depth and breadth of your poetry is so wonderful. I like having a new word to look up! I like that your poem moves either me through tender and sweet, and into some sadness, perhaps acceptance.
Margaret, I love that you used a large word, even though I had to look it up. It adds so much to the wonderful picture that you are painting. Thank you for sharing
My goodness Kate, you string words together in a way that flows so naturally for me as a reader and reflector. This opening immediately draws me in "a vast web/of iridescent threads/is waiting for you/to pluck/each one that calls you..." that is uniquely excd;gtiomal. And I agree with Claire "an endless symphony of life's radiant reply" is beautiful and a perfect ending to this gem of a poem.
I love how I could imagine all the sounds and visuals you describe. (Especially your last 4 lines which covers what I was considering basing my whole poem on.)
What a thoughtful, precious and bittersweet poem. In a small group, one of the writers used hearing and hearing aids as metaphors for we might manage change. How we talked, I thought to myself it is finally time to get my hearing checked. Your sweet list of all the sounds around us is incentive to do so!
“Just for a moment.” What a hopeful line to end your nice poem, Claire. As I read through it, I thought, “what would it take to count and list all the sounds we hear in a day?” In an hour? In a moment? Thank you your thoughtful poem which resonates right with me.
I live in Central America - anyone who has visited this part of the world, will know it is not really a quiet place. But the sights, sounds, colours and energy make it what it is :) This is a summary of the soundscape of my mornings.
Soundscape
If I'm not woken by the sound of rain on the roof
or the crash of thunder in the night sky
all is quiet
until the dawn chorus
as the birds begin to sing
and chatter in the trees
the sound of engines filters in
the horn of the school bus
hurrying the sleepy heads out of the door
the roar of the motorbikes
rushing into the day
the call of the street sellers, 'el pan', 'la leche' and later on 'pizza'
What a wonderful journey through the sounds the city, your life. You do a wonderful job of creating a scene so rich and vivid. And still leaving room for imagination.
Joe, so much of this speaks to me as parts but in whole. "Tell stories written long ago, for kings or high church mass, of war and noble sacrifice". Awesome. Thank you for sharing.
The first notes of birdsong,
the rhythmic purring of a cat,
the muted scratching of a pen,
the delighted giggles of children,
the rustling of leaves in the breeze,
the gentle clicking of knitting needles,
the contented sigh of a sleepy dog
resting her head in my lap,
and always,
always,
the turning
of a page.
This is so creative, A. I could hear and feel each line, and the splendid descriptors and sweet cadence make it so!
I love this poem. And I also love the shape of this poem.
And always always the turning of a page. 🩵
That is really good. Thank you for sharing.
Soul Soundscape
All shall be well
I am
Do not fear
Abide
Receive
Breathe
And all manner of things shall be well
with my soul.
I like this Karen. “All Will Be Well”. Prayers for that to be so!
YES
Kaitlin, what a lovely poem! I listened to the stream vidoe you included a few days ago as I pondered and wrote this. It is a bit whimsical and fluffy, but I need both of those today.
Soundscape
Listen!
Do you hear that?
The sounds of earth calling us,
flowing through us like an overflowing stream.
May they bring us rest.
May this soundscape of Gaia’s spirit,
bring inclusive prayers for healing,
and be harbors for our soul.
May they set us free.
Will we finally sit in the
silence and solitude,
release into deep time
in a ritual of loving kindness
which crosses all the borders.
“… a ritual of loving kindness”. - Yes! We need more of these!
"be harbors for our soul" and "in a ritual of loving kindness", wonderful, Larry. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Steven!
Wearing headphones
Enables one singular
Soundscape to penetrate
The ears… projecting
Into the brain’s neurons,
Generating emotion
Through vibration;
Which will you choose?
Gently falling rain?
Guitars and drums?
Nature’s voices?
Flutes and strings?
It’s all about focus
In the end…
This is wonderful, Korie! So thoughtful and thought provoking. I am already thinking about which sounds I might choose? And of all the damage I may have inflicted on my own ears from headphones and too loud concerts over my many years.
I’m with you there!
✨which will you choose✨
Words have always been my soundscape
But what bliss I know
When words melt into snow
To trickle down
The sternocleidomastoid
Pass my heart and gut
Become a puddle at my feet
A soup of letters
Splash
Between my toes
A catbird lands to plop and preen
And ripples form
From what were thoughts before.
I tread the dampened sole of footprints
Only the points that touch
Five toes, a heel, the ball
No arch
Then gone as soon as I could say
You were my words
I let you go
To swallow sounds that take up far less space.
Love the visual of this poem .
Wow Margaret, wow. The depth and breadth of your poetry is so wonderful. I like having a new word to look up! I like that your poem moves either me through tender and sweet, and into some sadness, perhaps acceptance.
Ah... the power of words to evoke such interesting images. ❤️
Margaret, I love that you used a large word, even though I had to look it up. It adds so much to the wonderful picture that you are painting. Thank you for sharing
a vast web
of iridescent threads
is waiting for you
to pluck
each one that calls you,
to play each string
that is still, and longing
you, too, are a string
within this web of song,
this world so humming
with hymn and dream
and restless stirring,
forever asking you:
how do you long to touch this world?
and how do you long
to be touched in return?
an endless question
to which your response
gives birth
to an endless symphony
of life’s radiant reply.
My goodness Kate, you string words together in a way that flows so naturally for me as a reader and reflector. This opening immediately draws me in "a vast web/of iridescent threads/is waiting for you/to pluck/each one that calls you..." that is uniquely excd;gtiomal. And I agree with Claire "an endless symphony of life's radiant reply" is beautiful and a perfect ending to this gem of a poem.
"and endless symphony of life" love this Kate 🤍
Soundscape
Birdsong waking a sleeping person
as the sun bathes
the sky in roses and golds.
A word that triggers
a song only one person can hear,
until they burst out singing.
The sound of peepers
at dusk calling
for their next hookup.
Wind rustling the leaves,
the creaking noise of
tree limbs rubbing together.
Children laughing, squealing,
splashing in the pool.
The plop of a paddle entering
into water,
followed by the continuous
drips of water when
the paddle leaves the water.
Soundscape of a lonely elder
with nothing but the buzzing,
high-pitch ring of tinnitus
left for them to hear.
I love how I could imagine all the sounds and visuals you describe. (Especially your last 4 lines which covers what I was considering basing my whole poem on.)
Please tell me you have followed through and written your poem.
Thanks! I just posted something different
What a thoughtful, precious and bittersweet poem. In a small group, one of the writers used hearing and hearing aids as metaphors for we might manage change. How we talked, I thought to myself it is finally time to get my hearing checked. Your sweet list of all the sounds around us is incentive to do so!
Chapel silence intersected-
Churchbell chiming
Shade clicking
Siren wailing
Birds chirping
Clock ticking
Candle sputtering
Brain chattering.
And still, I pray.
I love this Kate, and the poem itself reads and feels to me like a prayer.
Thank you, Larry!
You are welcome!
The sound of our dog's breathing
excited to meet the day,
ready for a walk.
Hearing her sniffing the ground
while we listen for vireos,
buntings, and red-winged blackbirds.
Car traffic and construction sites
mix with it all.
We breathe a little.
Very nice Hans! I like the image of the dog breathing, a happy sound!
Soundscape
There are so many noises that make up my day
Children chattering, phones ringing, music blasting, telly's blaring, neighbours arguing, cars speeding by, ambulance sirens, diggers doing their work, bins being emptied, fridges and fans, whirring and humming, birds tweeting and squaking, dogs barking, gates banging, doors rattling, balls bouncing....
It feels like the noise never stops
Sometimes I long for silence
I long for an escape from this soundscape
Sometimes I long to submerge myself in water
Just for a moment
To find that place
Where all the noise is drowned out
Where I am held in a different soundscape
Where all is muffled, quiet and gentle
Just for a moment.
i love how this poem invites us from one world of sound to another… it made me hear whale song 💗
I've been there with all the normal 'children living to the max' noises and wishing for water to submerge myself in. Love this imagery.
It is deafening.
“Just for a moment.” What a hopeful line to end your nice poem, Claire. As I read through it, I thought, “what would it take to count and list all the sounds we hear in a day?” In an hour? In a moment? Thank you your thoughtful poem which resonates right with me.
Soundscape
On an early morning walk
both the sound of sneakers meeting asphalt
and the jangle of the leash
on my contemplative canine companion
are quickly muted by
the sudden chatter of squirrels
in their excitement to greet the morning
and Cardinals, Mocking Birds and Blue Birds
singing joyfully...
Oh what a beautiful morning!
Oh, what a beautiful day.
I got a beautiful feelin'
Ev'erything's goin' my way.
(Sorry, couldn't resist breaking into song)
What a beautiful poem to describe a beautiful morning. I felt the joy of your walk. And I love “contemplative canine companion.”
I live in Central America - anyone who has visited this part of the world, will know it is not really a quiet place. But the sights, sounds, colours and energy make it what it is :) This is a summary of the soundscape of my mornings.
Soundscape
If I'm not woken by the sound of rain on the roof
or the crash of thunder in the night sky
all is quiet
until the dawn chorus
as the birds begin to sing
and chatter in the trees
the sound of engines filters in
the horn of the school bus
hurrying the sleepy heads out of the door
the roar of the motorbikes
rushing into the day
the call of the street sellers, 'el pan', 'la leche' and later on 'pizza'
and then at 7am, the siren sounds
that municipal alarm clock on the Town Hall
which reaches us even a mile away
the dogs join in with their long, heartfelt howl
adding their voice to the sounds of this new day
Jane, your words transport me to central America, and I picture a lovely scene. Thank you for sharing
What a wonderful journey through the sounds the city, your life. You do a wonderful job of creating a scene so rich and vivid. And still leaving room for imagination.
"Psychologically Ultimate Seashore"
"Wood-Masted Sailboat" "Dawn and Dusk in the Okefenokee Swamp"
"Alpine Blizzard"
"Summer Cornfield"
"Gentle Rain in a Pine Forest"
playable at 16 33 45 & 78,
Those old Environments lps
were truly "Terrific on a waterbed"
Hah, Chuck! I understand what you mean! Though I never could sleep on a waterbed!
Soundscape
As the soundtrack of conversation with my husband—
ninety, hard of hearing, and losing memory and words—
decrescendos into silence
My cat and I walk out onto the deck
And take our complimentary seats in the center balcony
Overlooking the woods.
The conductor enters, raises his baton.
The harsh caw of crows begins the symphony.
The screaming blue jays enter, diving for peanuts I’ve thrown on the deck.
Soon the full orchestra is playing:
Mewing of catbird, (or is she mimicking robin or towhee, or my cat, who stares up at her?)
We hear her splash in the birdbath.
Witchety Witchety of the common yellowthroat
The beautiful filigreed melodies of orioles, grosbeaks, tanagers, buntings high in the branches
Their vivid tangerine, scarlet, indigo, rose unseen among the leaves.
Chipping of rusty-capped sparrows
Soft coo of mourning doves
Conk-La-ree of red-winged blackbirds
Loud teakettle whistle of the feisty Carolina wren
Metallic flutelike ee-o-lay of the wood thrush
Shush of the tiny bluegray gnatcatcher, miniature mockingbird
Whistling of the redstart and the trill of the pine warbler
Tchur of red-bellied woodpeckers
Sweet song of song sparrows
Clear downslurred cascade of the cardinals seeking their mates.
Then the high chatter of chimney swifts sweeping the evening air.
Finally, the wing rustle of a red-shouldered hawk gliding to his nighttime perch in the old oak.
The light dims and the curtain falls,
and the music fades to a silence more glorious than
Creation’s first day.
I was sitting right there with you, Barbara. I could see and hear every bird you described.
What a phenomenal orchestra! And the best seats!
More glorious that creation’s first day - beautiful!
This is wonderful, Barbara. You weave evocative imagery and gather us in on a lyrical journey of joy and delight! Thank you!
I delivered a forgotten flute
to school, where he was
learning a new song in band
But my favorite notes
will always be his own voice —
how he came home and
yelled, "Ma! Come down
so I can hug you!"
A fine and precious sound
That is indeed the sweetest song there is!
Soundscape
Its more than just a concert
As I sit in darkened hall
Strings and woodwinds playfully
Crescendo, rest, then fall
Tell stories written long ago
For kings or high church mass
Of war and noble sacrifice
Or lovelorn lad and lass
Since then kingdoms rose and fell
And countless lives were spent
With problems just as tough as mine
And moments of content
So when I hear this soundscape
I feel the common thread
Of life's re-lived humanity
And hope for times ahead
As cellist that's sat and played in cacophony of sounds that together, make music.
And a singer that's song, weaving my harmonies and blending with others.
As an audience member who has attended concerts.
I appreciate this poem.
I, too, have felt that common thread.
Well done, Joe
Thanks!
Joe, so much of this speaks to me as parts but in whole. "Tell stories written long ago, for kings or high church mass, of war and noble sacrifice". Awesome. Thank you for sharing.
What a tender, hopeful poem, Joe. May the hope we have manifest in the future.