As a Tinnitus “sufferer” I constantly hear a rather annoying ringing in my ears. Much like a CRT television being turned on in a small room, the high-pitched whine can sometimes drive one a bit mad.

Chances for true quiet and solace are difficult to find, including when trying to sleep. One such mitigation to these constant frequencies is the use of a “white noise” audio clip, or replacing the silence with music.

As a child, I got away with the analog ticking of a clock, but these days I just tell Google to play some sounds, whether a thunderstorm, an Oscillating fan, or even a train interior.

One final place can give me a bit of respite from the sound… Nature. When I’m not outside I make use of ambient forest clips, but as warmer weather approaches, I can now take advantage of the truly natural environment.

That is the topic of today’s poem; the kind of peace and solace that I find when I take a moment to close my eyes and listen to the world. Particularly I recall one Winter in Northern Wisconsin when I laid down in the snow and listened to the wind traveling through the bare forests.

By: Drew Swenson

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedThere is a stillness in the air

there is a chillness if you care

take a moment, hear the unheard

neither bird nor spoken word.

In this desolate place,

no noise pollution will efface.

The wind through the branches

only this chill still grace.