Dementia: Forgotten sounds
In the beginning
silence and emptiness
before you begin to remember
and
then the hush that makes you feel light at the top of your spine
then the quietness that hints at memory sounds
then the itch that makes you scratch your eardrums
then the hum of whirring wings waiting
then the curse that makes you stop listening
then the thunder that pushes your ears together but your skull resists
then the forgotten sounds of dementia
and
in the end
silence and emptiness
after you have forgotten.
* Phuoc-Tan Diep is a regular contributor to IS&T, you can find his latest e-book (or digital chapbook) – called Lights out and other poems – can be downloaded free of charge from http://stores.lulu.com/diep
