Sometimes when I shut it out
When I need the storm to subside
When I enforce the quiet around me
It is all I see.

The sound of dreams,
Of hopes left in the corners
The feel of raw skin on the walls
Rough edges on the doorstep
The sound of feet dragged through dust
The tingle of ritual and tradition.

Sometimes when I stop to think
When I close the gates to the sea
When I lock up the wind
When I push and bend the coral
It is all I can feel.

The taste of fear
Of angst turned into ashes in my mouth
The smell of laughter on your tongue
The sweet aftertaste of love at night,
The sourness of happiness  blanketing it all

Sometimes when I shut it out,
Life is all I hear.