Sit still and listen

Sit still and listen
What’s to hear?
I’ll tell you if you care to know
 
The rustle of the grass on claw
A drill a-whirring, quite, at speed
The whistle of the bird on roof
The rolling of a fly-screen door
 
The crackling twig stepped on by paw
The shifting foot under the chair
A distant voice, words indistinct
The sound made by a tennis ball
 
That’s dropped from mouth onto the ground
So dog can run and bark at what she hears
Over the fence beside the road
There’s a rumbling, agitated sound
 
The din of ball that’s caught in mouth
She tosses like she’s thrown by hand
As van or ute vrooms by at speed
That’s the tenth today, but who’s to count?
 
The smooth sound of a thumb on page
He turns – another chapter spent
The chair that squeaks whene’er he moves
A whimper – why? A stage – a phase
 
The hustle of the cars that pass
Becomes a constant amongst other sounds
The panting of my own who rolls
Over her ball, on fun-filled grass
 
In no order, familiar sounds are heard
Hush. Listen. Not a word.