Sound Poems

Sound Poem 2020

by Steven Faivus

Make believe you 

cannot hear 

or see or feel  

her whisper

Morning trumpet 

evening prayer

Cicadas raspy rhythm

Pulsing through the air

Record players

Layers airs

But not

For me

ears no longer 

reflect the sun 

holding fun and sorrow 

sadness and joy 

longing and fulfillment 

surrender and perseverance 

together within a single sound

Imagine you 

no longer hear 

to appreciate 

this ecstatic gift

Light licks the qualities 

of all things in view 

and bounces this info 

back out for all to see

Unlike light, 

sound favors and conserves 

info from its source 

– tone, volume, pitch – 

from how its creator moved 

and vibrated during creation 

– and shapes this sound tone 

By bouncing around 

in the acoustics of its space

Hearing sound

The pulse

The rhythm

Gets our body 

moving responding

Music moves us

Sound gives us info 

about what we cannot see

If a tiger sneaking up 

behind us breaks twigs or dried leaves, 

our sensitive, trained 

ears warn and save us

Then we learned 

to use sound 

to communicate to each other 

drums and bone flutes 

and singing and speech

Music helped us to speak

Helped our brains to grow

To make 

Us human

Sound has given 

so much 

from rhythm harmony melody

Sound won’t stop

Sound 

the other sense 

daredevil’s super power 

carrying vibrations 

strong and small 

loud and soft 

through water and air 

sound is there 

an organized motion 

on top of the already frenetic 

chaotic random 

thermal motion of the moment

Overlaid and powerful 

sacred Conga drums 

elephant’s listening feet 

sneezes breezes 

vibrating motion

In the mist

An organized overlaid motion, 

Organized vibration over the random 

Over seemingly over-powering 

chaotic thermal vibrations, 

speaks through, 

cuts through, 

stands alone, 

powered

Choir singers and directors know 

how the chemistry 

of one voice in many 

will change and color,

even overpower, 

the sound and tone

But sound itself, 

a pin drop, 

a flick of fingers 

The softest snap 

will pass through 

as a wave 

atop the random vibrations 

of the air molecules 

and stand 

clearly heard 

while the random 

overpowering motion 

resolves itself, averages out, 

20 pounds per square inch 

surface pressure ignored

Sound is a miracle, 

surprising, 

how does it work 

and what does it bring us

All the music 

drumming, strumming

fluting and reeding 

loud and soft 

Rubato and staccato 

all the worlds 

the sounds of letters 

the words 

of thought and prayer 

question and discussion

curiosity

We spent 70% 

of our brain 

to translate light 

coming into our eyes, 

but look what sound brings! 

What percent of our brain 

do we spend 

with 

thoughts and concepts 

questions and ideas 

that inner voice 

that formed impression

reaction 

to sound

like dreams to light 

Without sound will there be thought? 

For example 

if creatures evolved 

on the moon 

could developing intelligence 

be impossible 

because the vacuum 

does not allow for sound?

Sing to me

Let me rejoice

For now I have ears

And I hear sound!