"House on fire," Vancouver, British Columbia.
This morning I was reading Katharine Mieszkowski's article in Salon about noise pollution. My poem "Nightingales in Berlin" was inspired by this excerpt:
"Modern cities can be so noisy that ornithologists have found birds warbling at the top of their lungs to be heard. Nightingales in Berlin have been documented singing up to 14 decibels louder than their counterparts in woody environs, in an attempt to make their songs audible above all the background noise. Yet the cacophony of modern life is hardly confined to metropolises like New York or Cairo, Egypt where you literally have to shout on the street to make yourself heard..."
We speak the same language,
but can you grasp my words?
Do you hear me through the noise
that makes it impossible to think
in a calm, rational manner
and just listen to the silence?
Hard to find such moments
trapped in this environmental ruckus
of car horns and accidents and shouts
amidst a dusty haze of pollution.
People everywhere struggle to cope,
living amidst an urban symphony
of false discordant notes.
In Berlin, the nightingales sing louder
trying to restore nature's balance,
where harmony is disturbed
only by birdsong
and thunder.
How sad for the birdies :( I never knew they shared our need to make ourselves heard through the noise... Lovely window, as usual! xo
Posted by: Alex | 26 June 2008 at 21:31
oh boy can i ever appreciate this poem tara! i have such a craving for quiet and live with little manmade sound added to my life. no TV, music only when i focus on it, no machinery to do the chores. i use hedges and shrubs to block out as much street sound as i can. i DO love the sound of birds, children laughing and the water of the pond. i do not think i have ever heard a nightingale... either being loud in order to register his presence or in a natural tone. i love your statement about to speaking the same language but uncertain of understanding.
xo
Posted by: robin bird | 26 June 2008 at 18:30
Tara ... I love what you've done with this piece ... and how fascinating that birds are having to adapt to the noise of humanity, competing for air space and a voice. Briliant poem. xx, JP/deb
Posted by: JP/deb | 26 June 2008 at 17:56
Your poem captures the noise in our lives so very well!
Just yesterday I went through the bank drive thru and heard a lot of honking. Wachovia banks have signs up in their windows to honk if you get good service! I told the teller that I was not honking as I don't like the noise, but thanks for the service. I decided to go inside and voice my concerns about all this honking and what purpose this really serves. As I stepped out of my car, I heard five different horns from people clicking their automatic key locks. I never use mine to lock my car as I find the noise so annoying.
Growing up in the country where it was so quiet, the background noise in the city is too much for me except for short periods of time. I lived in Alaska for almost 20 years and every time I have been back in the winter, I am struck by how very quiet it is. (All that snow helps with softening any noise!)
Posted by: Jeanne Rhea | 26 June 2008 at 15:40
I meant to write WITH the birds songs!!!
Posted by: rochambeau | 26 June 2008 at 13:38
Comforting thoughts as we prepare to live the the birds songs!
Thank you!
xox
Constance
Posted by: rochambeau | 26 June 2008 at 13:38
A perfect subject for poetry, Tara, and it very artistically expresses your thoughts about such an interesting topic. And the image is a perfect fit.
It is a cacophonous world, isn't it? Poor birds, they have to shout to be heard. The first stanza is certainly applicable to the wide world these days.
Marvelous work!
Posted by: Becca | 26 June 2008 at 04:13
That is very interesting and a great subject for a poem - all of which you have done wonderfully.
Posted by: Kay | 26 June 2008 at 01:35
How very thoughtful and so true. We all live in audio chaos -- I sometimes do by choice (it keeps me from hearing the noises in my head -- tinnitus, not craziness, I hasten to explain). But oh, when you have real silence and can hear the nightingale sing -- how lovely.
Great image! I want that house!
Posted by: Jeanie | 25 June 2008 at 23:08
Hi Tara, I window-shopped on Robson Street (Vancouver) for the first time this weekend since we got back from our trip, and I was delighted to recognize that the window you'd posted a photo of earlier (and here) is from one of my favourite shops, Aritzia. Hope you enjoyed your time in Vancouver (I know I loved my visit to Paris!)
Posted by: materfamilias | 25 June 2008 at 15:51
Hey Tara. I'm trying to visit a few blogs to see what I have been missing in the world. I absolutely love your poem. It's wonderful. xoxoxoxoxo
Posted by: judie | 25 June 2008 at 14:21