The Hearing World
by Ronald Gainsford

The Hearing world
Just does not know
To the depths of despair
Non hearing people do go
Imagine watching a TV show
And there is no sound
Then our frustration you will know
Imagine seeing people talking
With their voices turned off
And yes not a sound
Even if they coughed
The hearing world
Does not understand
The frustrations that
This aging man
Does encounter each day
As he goes through life
To communicate
With others and also his wife
The lives of loved ones
Also is changed
When they do not understand
When things for you are not the same

Technology is harder
Cell phones don't work
The sound on TV must be turned up
And their ears it does hurt
An alarm clock that shakes the house
Does not shake you
Even at its loudest
It does not move you
A restaurant table
Or at a meeting
Their sounds
Are hard to understand
Because so many people are found
The hearing world
Will not find out
Until their hearing
Yes does go south

Ronald Gainsford has been a consumer of DATI services for the past six months due to his hearing loss. You can find more of Ron's poetry and learn a little about him by visiting www.thestarlitecafe.com and typing in his name in the search field.