All I Cannot Hear

[ a poem about being hard of hearing ]

i cannot hear the ticking of clocks.
i cannot hear leaves as they blow
or tires on the road.
i am a stranger to hearing your whispers
and talking on the phone.
i cannot hear the ceiling fan
or water dripping.
i cannot hear the sharp edges of your words.
they fade away
and i am forced to guess at the blurry shapes left.
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