What is heard is not

what is understood

Sounds a jumbled salad,

tossed at random

ingredients difficult to distinguish

Understanding is learned

through repetition and

perhaps a bit of coaching

It takes a lifetime

new sounds added to the repertoire

But when lost over time

with hearing going quiet

once known sounds lost

now returned not understood

part of the bckground, noise

Frustration and disappointment

arise with memory conflicting with now

Sounds aren’t missing

just misplaced

The miracle is restoration

Sounds can be learned,

pulled from the noise,

with focus and effort

and help from friends

perception, comprehension guided

Over time, wonder shared

A magpie heard screaching

Bluebird higher and softer

Deer walking through brush

Stream gurgling past rocks

All this and more to experience

once again, sounds once familiar

returning, though changed

as technology mediates

and the silence abates