The Octpo prompt for today is to experience silence, then write in, and about, it. White Noise is a poem I wrote a few years ago when I was suffering from tinnitus.
White Noise
I am dispossessed
of the gentle absence of sound.
Silence:
sings to me,
whines at me,
roars round me,
buzzes for me,
hums in me,
irritates the hell out of me,
deprives me of sleep.
There is no more silence.
© Viv Blake 2011
Since then, my hearing has deteriorated and I now have two tiny hearing aids. An unexpected advantage is that they drown out the tinnitus. I can now hear conversation, birdsong, mumbled television dramas. The downside is that small sounds such as cleaning my teeth, putting the lid on the teapot, moving a chair, are magnified to an astonishing volume. Ah well, we can’t have everything! In the spirit of OctPoWriMo, I felt obliged to write a new poem. It needs work.
Vivinfrance's Blog 
I understand … my mother-in-law has a hearing aid and she JUMPS every time I bang my pots and pans in the kitchen. She has learned to take them at meal prep times (I think) when she visits. So glad you can ear such things as birdsong again!
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I love your spirit. And I your words too 🙂 You made think about how much more there is to ‘silence’. I was thinking of absence of sound, outside and inside. But there are more aspects to it. Thank You!
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I liked them both, but that second one especially resonated (no pun intended!) with me. Realistic and touching.
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My husband’s hearing is starting to go…and I find him talking so much louder than he used to talk! Sometimes it un-nerves me…but then I remember that he doesn’t even realize it….and it makes me feel more compassion and I try to be more understanding. Your poem made me see things differently. 🙂
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Persuade him to have a hearing test, and if necessary get him hearing aids. they really improve the quality of life
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how very frustrating- your poem says it all!
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Silence is golden!
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Ah yes, silence is as good as not sometimes, and your words spell it out in such a profound way!
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You made me feel your loss, life is hard to understand sometimes. Nicely written.
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You have made your hearing pain and discomfort very tangible for us all, and reminded me of a friend who suffers from tinnitus.
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well now let your accompany noises enhance you someway, dont know how, just hoping it does eventually
happy Valentine 2015
much love
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you’ve struck silence on the right note…
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I am surprised occasionally when my tinnitus stops suddenly and briefly, and I get true silence and sounds. Loved the two poems!
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It is definitely very hard to come upon silence.
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in this world
you will be hard pressed to find true silence
though i think often it is more the buzz of my thoughts that disturbs me…
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It’s what keeps me awake, too.
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Yep … that first one sounds like silence … it can be very noisy at times, the second is lovely and lked how you put it into the illustration like a haiga. Great post.
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Shared it with people who know what you’re talking about. I’m thankful that I don’t, though I can be noise sensitive at times. I live behind a school garden and a day care centre…
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Two beautiful poems, thank you!
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unwelcome sound – I have such a difficulty filtering out sounds – silence , to me, is the most blessed of all.
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mind wanders..very well penned.:)
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Very well done. I love the first couple of lines.
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Silence can both calm and irritate, indeed!
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A poignant write Viv.
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