I'm glad I miss
those crinkling papers,
the rustle of clothes,
the squeak of desks.
That stranger in my ear
whispers foreign sounds,
bothering me when
no one else notices.
I get distracted by the
creaks in the house,
the shifting of shoulders,
or brush of a blouse.
I hear people whisper
with half-made-out sounds,
and wish I could miss
those giggles and frowns
directed at me from some
unknown source.
The hum of the
air-conditioner
drowns out your voice.
I hear all conversations,
but the background
gets louder.
If only I could hear
the important sounds
and not the verbal litter.

Lindsey Milton 1994

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