A Listening Walk Of My Own

When I was much younger, I can remember reading the book, "The Listening Walk," by Paul Showers.  The book has been revised with new colorful illustrations by Aliki and a more streamlined text, but the basic story remains the same.  It relays the sounds a girl hears while on a walk.

It has been so hot these past few days, that I have been waiting until close to 10:00 in the evening before taking a walk in an attempt to beat the heat.  Generally, I take along my mp3 player and listen to music while I walk, but a couple of nights ago, the battery on my player wasn't charged so I left it at home.  The neighborhood was quiet due to the hour of the day.  Yet, there was plenty to be heard if I listened closely.  It reminded me of reading "The Listening Walk" as a young girl.  I tried to listen and take note in my head of some of the sounds I heard while walking, and this poem is the result.

My Listening Walk

I hear

errant bugs

 frying 

in the zappers

 sizzle, snap,

sizzle, snap,

in the yards

of the houses

that I pass.

Walking shoes,

rhythmic feet,

catch

in a bit of gravel--

ping, clickety, ping

tiny stones jump and fly.

Rubber soles slap, slap, slap

a steady rhythm

on the black

of the asphalt

on the street.

The teenage boy,

on his way home,

(late)

whirs by on his bike--

rickety rack, rickety rack.

His bicycle seat 

squeaks, squeaks

(just a bit)

as he shifts his feet

pushing on, 

leaning back.

Sizzle, snap,

sizzle, snap,

ping, clickety, ping,

slap, slap, slap,

rickety rack, rickety rack,

squeak, squeak.

Air conditioners

hum and rumble

beating down the heat

beating down the heat

hrrum, chuka, chuka

hrrum, chuka, chuka,

Drippity, dribble,

drippity, dribble,

water slips to the ground 

underneath.

Another window
in another house

open to the heavy air,

no air conditioner there.

Wire screen allows the escape

of a rat-a-tat,
rat-a-tat,

of corn in a popper

growing big, growing fat.


Hrrum, chuka, chuka

hrrum, chuka, chuka,

drippity, dribble,

drippity, dribble,
rat-a-tat,

rat-a-tat.


Mosquitoes whine

zingity-zizz, 

zizzity-zing

as they dance

their dance of the night.

Bats slide by 

like layers of silk

upon silk.

Wings, black petticoats

 not white,

swish, swish-a-wish, swish

swiftly, softly, 

dipping and slicing

the twilight night.

 They dine, 

biting the blood biters,

cutting their zip, 

zapping their zing.

They are my heroes 

in flight.

Zingity-zizz, 

zizzity-zing,
swish, swish-a-wish, swish,

zap, zappity, zap, zap, zap.