Hearing Nothing

I can hear silence:
the white noise of nothing,
a generator pumping
somewhere inside a wall,
in a brick built box of a
plaster hall, in a
city beyond
hearing.

I can hear cars:
one after the other,
like they’re tied
bumper to bumper,
with long strands of rope
made of night time.
Their noise is lower
than the purr of the silence-
like wind being moved on
by air ducts
or geese.

I can hear ticking:
soft moth creeping
between exhalations
of burning wheels;
flitting on the
sound cords of silence,
like a quantum mechanical
engine. Can I hear-

clicking?
Can I hear the sound of
ligaments creaking? of
people thinking? Of saliva
licking beneath my teeth.
Can I hear my ear drum
breathe?
Can I hear follicles lifting
one by one
like hairs pulling out of
concrete?

Can you hear it?
…
Tell me-

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