Little Noise
Not the involuntary
shudder released
when wakening
or the deeper sigh
escaping the reposing
soul forsaking sleep,
more a humph
in the back of the
throat but absent
contempt, regret,
arrogance or anger,
pulsing the inner ear,
the bony labyrinth
of semicircular canals
where it resonates
with disquiet:
it’s the little noise
we make when
a heart stops.
— Stephen E. Smith
