Poems: Do You Hear What I Hear?

“Do You Hear What I Hear?” 

We rarely hear this tune in church. 

But I like it. 

Bing Crosby made it a hit back in 1963 but it was written a year earlier. 

Songs can become carols. 

Depends on how you hear them.

The two composers emotionally broke down in tears every time they tried to perform the song.

Why? 

They wrote it while listening to alarming news reports about the Cuban missile crisis

A nuclear rendesvous 

1962

They, the story goes, watched mommies push their babies in strollers and they feared.

Are we so deaf to words of peace?

addicted instead to the reverberating drumbeat of conflict? 

Said the king to the people everywhere, ‘Listen to what I say!  Pray for peace, people everywhere, Listen to what I say!  The Child, the child, sleeping in the night, He will bring us goodness and light.’

Do you hear what I hear?  

Lord, I hope not.  I wouldn’t wish that on any of you  

Some might know what I’m hinting at. 

You might suffer from it too. 

 If you got it, you know how it can drive you insane.  

The refrain profane

A case of tinnitus. 

Sin-utus tinnitus

Irksome impetus

No cure. 

Must be endured

The doctors tell that this noise inside my head probably came from ear infections

The ear-aches I had when a kid. 

Plus, I took extra pounding because I grew up in a factory

Innocent ear drums bombarded by the whine of engines turning axles

which rotated leather belts operating the clanging machinery

with which we manufactured paint, ink, and varnish. 

There was no OSHA back then telling us to insert ear plugs. 

Not the intermittent kind of tinnitus

the continuous kind instead 

A consistent, persistent, insistent, belligerent ringing in the ears. 

Sin-utus tinnitus

Irksome impetus

No cure. 

Endure

Actually, a ringing would be nice. 

Mine sounds instead

more like a smoke alarm --with no off switch -- buzzing in my head

It can drive you absolutely stark raving mad. 

That is, if you let yourself focus on the noise. 

Do you hear what I hear?

If you focus on the noise, it will drive you weird. 

My brother got close to going mad the other day

Given all the news he hears,

he knew how it would be so easy for him to let the noise infect

hopes turning astray

cynical and jaded

invaded

un-maded

pervaded

He’s a big shot in the big shot world of CEO’s, CFO’s, CIO’s and CTO’s. 

Which is why he keeps repeating to himself a sounding joy: 

far more worthwhile is the family he knows and Christmas cheer he sows. 

There are those for whom, rather than bitter, you feel just so, so sad

those whose ears, hearts, and hours are filled only with static

those who cannot hear the lullabies over the noise

those who make the bad choice

those who miss out

those who at night with head on anxious pillow silently sigh wearily looking back on the monotony of sterile days.

It is so very easy to let the noise take over you.

A most natural thing to do.  

Cynicism is easy

Good will requires work 

For the noise wants to drive you beserk

A spiritual tinnitus deep inside the ears of all mankind

and it is contagious.

The cancer news. 

The guilts and griefs that bind

The family feuds. 

Wondering if you’ll still be together next Christmas

Asking what happened to the promises. 

Looking at the empty places at the table this year

Closing shut doors to undusted rooms. 

If you listen to the noise…

If…

Will you hear tonight the lyrics of Christmas cheer?

Do you hear the music of truth?

And the truth of music?

Do you hear what I begin to hear?  

I hear the child’s cry

I hear a star dancing in the sky

I hear the sounds of love

I hear the flutter of the dove

I hear the sound of a hug and the brush of a kiss

And the still silent prayers of a longing wish

I hear the sound of a tear.