Sunday, February 20, 2011

The Earth Hums



The earth hums,
and scientists can’t explain it--

the high decibel keening,
a planet’s symphonic singing,
unheard by human ears but only
by delicate instruments, measuring
spherical noise.

The earth hums from molten
core shifting or oceans drifting
or atmospheric pressure or the measure
of the sun’s rays careening across
a breathing planet.

The earth hums, an opera
of life and tragedy, the lamentation
of that final note, held and suspended until
hearts break and circular grief engulfs
a rapt audience.

The earth hums, and there is no
silence on this planet.

Gnash your teeth and weep for it,

a cymbal’s riff, crashing across
eardrums and unlit space, resounding
the earth’s pulse.

©  Ami Mattison


Flickr photo courtesy of FlyingSinger

6 comments:

  1. Love this piece! Humming right along with it!

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  2. Always in motion, and motion generates sound. Me, I'm going to the library and shush someone. ;-)

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  3. if only we heard her song more, i wonder would we treat her a bit better...but then of course there is silence or the lack there of...i wonder what we miss in our loudness...but then again you kinda answered that as well...

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  4. and i was having a lot of fun at the library until this crazy lady kept shushing me...just saying...smiles.

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  5. your word choices in this poem really stand out to me. this demonstrates your brilliance as a performer, the preciseness of every word is literally popping off the screen. would love to hear you perform this one.

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