Simply Air

Think about this, without air, that mixed concoction

Of nitrogen, oxygen and other breathable gasses,

There would be no sound transmitted to our ears in

Vibratory shock waves, no baby cries, dog barks, no

“Timber!” yelled for falling trees, no crisp rustling

Leaves raked by the autumn breeze, not even angry

Screams or the faintest whispers of I love you, not

The slightest ping of a pin-drop, nada, nothing, more

Silence than cat paws gliding across pillows of cotton.

Just imagine the deafening sound of absolute quiet,

Not even a door slamming shut, that sudden jolt com-

ing from the apartment down the hall. Not to men-

tion, that without the gaseous mixture which we have

come to know yet rarely appreciate, it would be most

Stiflingly impossible to gasp for that one last breath.

Chris Hanch 10-3-15