Noise

Mradula Hegde
Sep 7, 2018 · 1 min read

I woke up to noise today,
not to the sound of birds or the alarm or my mother’s call

It was a cacophony of music from loudspeakers,
the howl of a dog, and the shrill whistles of the ragpicker’s van

I tried to head back to sleep but was half dazed, half awake by now.
Couldn’t understand the unrest, anxious voice from within

And then I heard the gentle rustle of leaves flipping against my window
swaying to their own rhythm as the morning breeze had flown

It was mellow and effortless
As though someone slid a silk shawl on skin

I soaked in it for a while, just seeing them dance and hearing them sway
For a moment there I was just immersed, just me and them

And then the dog howled again
Breaking into our little moment and I was taken away from the daze.

I woke up to noise today,
not to the sound of birds or the alarm or my mother’s call

But there was something about those rustling leaves I heard later
that made some sense of the noise afterall

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade