sound

Industrial noise seems to dominate my aural landscape. A too close main road and a neighbour obsessed with his leaf blower spew harsh tunes into the air.  Even my "whisper quiet" kettle announces its presence with a distinctly un-natural sound.  I sense the tightening in my shoulders and I nudge myself out of my little wallow - to change perspective.

From another section of the orchestra a steady breeze is passing through leaves tickling them with its cool fingers. In turn they are sending forth their crinkly laughter. A giant gum tree creaks as it allows the earth's turning to bend and sway her. It reminds me of ebb and flow. On quiet reflection I also tally four different bird calls from within her branches. Above me the tin roof pings as the hot sun contorts its form and I think of Summer and its imminent arrival. Far off rumblings herald the beginning of the storm season.

Equal in frequency these calming sounds are dwarfed by discordant mechanical musicians.  Inadvertently I have chosen to magnify the annoying and let it diffuse my day with tension and disharmony.  Although I have learnt to visually overlook the less appealing and hunt out the beauty in my everyday I have been unable to shake these unrelenting tunes from my ears. Perhaps it is time to shift my attention to the sounds around me. Can I focus on the soothing and beautiful and let them drown out the grating? I guess it is all a matter of perspective.

Steph x