I hear my mother’s TV…
My husband’s staple gun…
The soft tap of my fingers on virtual keys…
Our dog barks.

But I hear no traffic from the nearby road –
It is a new experience
To hear no.

I hear no friends laughing as we play bridge…
no grandson giggling as he snatches off my glasses…
no colleagues working together…
no restaurants…
no movie theaters…
no churches.

I must listen more carefully
Right now
To hear yes.