sounds I miss (from the Before Time)
Cassidhe Hart
sounds I miss (from the Before Time)
Cassidhe Hart
the beeping of the bus
as the wheelchair ramp lifts back up
the grinding whir of the coffee shop espresso machine
and the loud hiss of the milk steamer
and my name called over the din
the way a multitude of people speaking
weaves into one cacophonous
but oddly lulling, humming voice
shouts of greeting
echoing down the school hallways
the sudden silence
when the air conditioner at work
turns off for the winter
snippets of conversation caught as people shoulder past
on a crowded sidewalk
the distinctive airplane “ding”
on the flight to see my parents
music reaching down the block
from a nearby summer festival
the clatter of plates and cutlery
as many dine together
the squealing of children at a neighborhood park
the reverberating pulse of voices
singing together in worship
my friend’s words,
coming from the living room,
as I bring in a cup of tea
sound moves slower than light, they say,
and I’ve seen this confirmed
the one thousand times I’ve looked up
to find the airplane already passed
and maybe
the light at the end of the tunnel
is closer than we realize
we can’t hear the sounds of After—
not yet—
but they are already on the way
Cassidhe Hart is an eight-year resident of Evanston whose work has been commissioned for events such as the Why Water Matters Summit and the Evanston Interfaith Climate Action Summit. Her writing has also been featured in Collegeville Institute’s Bearings Online and in an Advent publication for Chalice Press. Find more at https://cassidhehart.wordpress.com/.