Sound

 Sounds 

There’s much to be learned at this age.

A little loss of sound can be a blessing,

helps with quiet contemplation,

the self-absorption usually reserved for youth.

At times, such meditation can be unsettling,

perhaps after a night of unsound sleep.

I will wonder when it happened,

that all my friends got old,

while movie sound went bad,

mirrors became foggy,

and passings came so often.

I wonder when it happened.

It’s been a lengthy journey,

spanning my entire life, actually,

dwelling on the meaning of it all,

often listening only to the sound of my feet.

A few times, I have arrived at wisdom,

but the next morning, I arrived at it again.

I once learned one true thing,

attending a monastic retreat,

where the sound of chanting monks

filled my heart, teaching me that

when I would have music, 

I need make only one simple sound.