Noise Poem by lisa hart

It is not in silence that I feel alone:
the absence of voices
the deep black peace of night or
the tranquility of a deserted stretch of shore
with only
the wordless roar
of the wind and waves

But surrounded by meaningless chatter
my thoughts are pressed and pushed back
into the shadowy recesses of my mind
to sour, decay.
And when a stranger's shrill laughter
pierces like a needle;
and a million disjointed conversations
crowd me....
I am drowning


and the dark closes in on me once more.