Sounds I Should Have Heard

I heard that temple gong, amid their padding footfalls upon polished stone and old wood

I listened as the peaceful church bells tolled out once more with the coming of the evening

The mystic loon calls carried from far out across the lake, honoring that long June twilight

Their meditative chanting briefly revealed a place where I had always hoped to remain

An eagle cried out from impossibly far above my thoughts in that deep blue mountain sky

The wind spoke through the pines and then went off, sighing to itself among the aspen

For hours I listened as the entire world made music there, upon that one tiny creek

I felt so safe as the warm evening rain tinkled softly down upon that old metal roof

I spaced my thoughts between the bird calls, and so they came and went

The distant thunder rolled across and away in echoes, one peal cascading upon another

All during the night, the peaceful sea took a restful breath with each single wave

Their music carried me to a place where I just wished that I might someday abide

Wolves howled in cold and lonely wonder at the mystery that stood their coats on edge

Fingers scraped the strings between the beautiful chords they strung together like pearls

I heard nothing but my own footfalls for such a long time, so far out on that empty trail

Their roosters began calling just before the dawn, helping to set me on my way once more

Huge branches creaked above me as those giant sequoias stretched up for the coming rain

Familiar elder voices carried gently up the wooden stairs and I fell securely into a child’s sleep

That wind chime bore a message about something that I felt I should have always known

The simple croaking of those wet green frogs briefly made everything seem alright again

I found the white noise of the waterfall once more, carried along within that giant crowd

The roar of my own heavy breathing filled my ears where the way was long and steep

In that Apache sandstone, the wind drifted and eddied, as ancient shadows came and went

The rich timbre of her voice lingered in my memory and often came to me in dreams

Our crackling fire brought a deep sense of well being despite the vast surrounding darkness

I passed long hours to the purring of that calico cat who rolled on the wool blanket in my lap

After my escape I noticed the internal deafness caused by always having to shout out my thoughts

The soft sound of snowflakes upon my cap, many at once, began, at last to set me straight

The mysterious music sometimes emerging from my flute both delighted and surprised me

I took a sideways satisfaction in that here, the jets were too high for their sound to reach me

The quiet repetition of that empty phrase helped settle my breathing and clear my head

I noted drowsily that the shouts and laughter of the playing children did not disturb me at all

I saw that, from a great enough distance, the ugly roar of heavy traffic faded to a soothing hum

I nodded saying nothing until, at last, even they had finally heard themselves for quite long enough

I turned ever so slowly to the surrounding silence, so very pregnant with everything, all at once

Atmlast things maybe even begin to sound like the rest of my life really should have always been