Sound

The catlike mewing of gulls,
the hiss of waves,
the noisy comings and goings
of what we hear…

wind stirring the wiry grasses,
the frantic peeps
of sanderlings in their feeding,
thin legs a blur...

Sounds are always a sign of something.
We look to see
what the sound we hear can teach us.

Sometimes the pattern reverses.
The bullet strikes
before sound of the shot can reach us,

and, thus, we die,
having no idea what killed us,
cannot ask why.