Image: Unsplash, downloaded (https://unsplash.com/photos/aerial-photo-of-concrete-buildings-7JRlvjYK0m0) 7.9.2024.
Can't hear, won't hear.
The sun begins to set but the heat remains,
killing time in his tiny apartment.
He scratches his back while sprawled across the couch
and listens to the local radio’s thirty second news report:
‘There was an assassination attempt
on the former President today.
A flood in Bangladesh has wiped out entire villages,
leaving hundreds dead, and thousands without homes.
Krispy Kreme have just launched a new limited edition
donut for the Paris Olympics this summer.’
What a time to be alive, he thought.
He had no answers for the shooting,
or for the floods, or even the donuts.
It was all just stuff, floating around in this world,
and if you hear it enough, you just don't listen anymore.
About the Author: Leigh Doughty is a writer and a language teacher based in HCMC, Vietnam. His previous work can be found in the VNexpress, the Nuthatch, and the Meridian.
Comments