National Poetry Writing Month - April 22, 2014

As I was driving home from taking the dog to the vet this morning, I adjusted the radio so that I could hear the morning hockey talk. It took me back a little to see that the volume was at 12. It made me think, is my hearing that bad? I suppose it is, after years of loud concerts, shooting guns without adequate hearing protection, working near active military flight lines without ANY hearing protection, etc, etc. It's been a slow process but a steady one towards my hearing loss, and it is the inspiration for today's verses.

What Was That Again?

When I was born, I could barely hear

And what I did was scary; unfamiliar

It made me angry and sad

To not know what was being said

As I got older, my hearing was perfect

I could hear everything around me

Even if I didn't understand it all

I could hear all that was being said

When I entered the military, it was still okay

But the damage truly started then

Guns and planes and music too loud

But I could still understand what was said

Later in life, the ringing in my ears is louder

Than the radio in my car and it's a little scary

But not unfamiliar. It's been there for a long time now

And I'm now starting to misunderstand what's being said

The older and older I get, the less and less I can hear

Music is muted, voices are quieter. Drowned out by tinnitus

And constant abuse of my hearing

And it makes me a little angry and sad