First day of autumn & Tinnitus by Gerry Butterwick

first day of autumn

first day of autumn
ghost cloud vapors rise to merge with the rain
the air carries the scent of the far-off electric storm
tingling in my nostrils like soda fizz

nothing is what it seems
including me
some truth gets out
some gets filtered
but some truth gets caught in the air
ricochets in the air
silently troubles the air
at the very edge of your awareness
and you know
and you don’t want to know

tingling in my nostrils like soda fizz
the air carries the scent of the far-off electric storm
ghost cloud vapors rise to merge with the rain
first day of autumn

tinnitus

quiet now
the late night traffic murmur
a souvenir of the old times
glass case emblem
a night made crystal

there is no where else to go
but i wait at the way station
a way to get in is available but i’m off to the side
where i’ve always been
and been content
to stay

the ringing in my ears
has a life of its own
a frequency i’m only aware of because it rings
a frequency near the top of my hearing range
cilia lay down in my cochlea
like dry grass
fatigued from decades of air pressure
they give out and sing
a dying drone

Gerry Butterwick is a musician and songwriter from Ypsilanti, Michigan. He’s played as a solo performer, in the bands Wellfire and Gravy, and in support of singer-songwriters Frank Wright and Frances Bennigan. He has a degree in Technical Communication from Eastern Michigan University, and has worked in the auto industry in document control and database administration.

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