I can’t keep up with the noise

The noise is killing me A cochlear hornet’s nest Squeezing my head through a sieve Dogs bark Woodchippers chip Leaf blowers blow Tow truck chains Migraine pain I can’t keep up with the noise This inbox, that outbox Buzz. Buzz, Google, Bing TikTok, Twitter, Twatter, fodder, tweet Network news Streaming Binge drop Couch queen Scam Spam Phishing IRS Fraud, oh my lord Disaster deaths Climate change tornadoquakes floodraughts Blizzalanches Tsunamicanes Peddle to the metal, e-bikes Pilling up plastic cups I can’t keep up with the noise Pm Me Fly a text FaceTime Zoom Ding dong Ring’s on Porch pirates Case the joint Dine and ditch Catfish switch Smash and grab Street takeovers Carjacked Hit, run Flip off, fuck you Road rage Don’t engage Racism Prejudice I can’t keep up with the noise Protest Riots Hatred Antisemitism Nazis Black hate Jewish hate Asian hate Muslim hate Subjugate Hate, hate, hate, hate Duck, duck, goose Dose, dose, overdose Middle school Narcan Opioids Oxy Meth, Smack Fentanyl heart attack I can’t keep up with the noise Mental illness Unhoused Unaccounted Unnoticed Tented streets The police? War vets Soup kitchen hair nets Battered wives Broken bones Kids in tow All alone Human rights Danger, danger Rape, incest Abortion Right to choose More to lose Unrepresented Stomped and stifled I can’t keep up with the noise Women POC You and me Indigenous Lesbian Gay Bi Transgender Nonbinary They, them, their Genderqueer, genderfluid Money, money Medicine Healthcare Will work for food Heat, gas, clothes Financial woes Water shortage Fuel shortage I can’t keep up with the noise Disease Alzheimer’s AIDS COVID Cancer Heart disease An epidemic Suicide Dying, abused Missing, Exploited kids 2023 so far 14,000 graves 578 child-sized School shootings Nightclub shootings Office shootings Mall shootings Theater shootings I can’t keep up with the noise Supermarket shootings Freeway shootings Synagogue shootings Church shootings Mass shootings BANG, BANG Guns, guns Shootings, shootings, shootings The noise is killing me It’s killing you It’s killing us And a buried head won’t make it end © 2023 Mona S Gable All Rights Reserved