Poem: Deaf Stranger

Somewhere … words are made but they don’t have meaning. They all fall into the silence… because I can’t hear them anymore.

Poem: Deaf Stranger

Words carry no meaning
For they mean nothing
For a while, they meant everything
Bouquets I ignore — I get them galore
Brickbats, I ignore — they land on the floor
Today, I have moved beyond their reach
Whispers can’t reach me
But silence can … carry messages
But don’t knock at this deaf man’s door
I can’t hear my heartbeat
I have buried my heart deep inside
The coldness of the June snow
The candle still burns in the corner
And it does not matter if I can’t hear
I was a stranger then — from here on
A stranger I will be.
~Ashok Subramanian © 2024