Milton wrote an immortal sonnet "On His Blindness."
Our C2S contributor describes his own experience with progressive deafness.
SOUNDS OF SILENCE
High-pitched voices the first to
go
Louder becoming a screaming
noise
Communication confused by multi-tonality
Like, like a stuttering redux.
A missed word, a phrase,
whole sentences gone, the meaning unclear
a reluctance to be wrong in response
silence misinterpreted as taciturn.
Aural uncertainty boosted by reading lips,
chance guesses of the dictionary of glances,
a wink, a nod, eyes widening, eyebrows up
Cultural mismatches even harder to dissect.
Technology minimizing embarrassing moments
for a little while, keeping me alive and sane.
But the process is relentless
The tunnel collapsing, the path narrowing.
The deafening sounds of silence
not peaceful nor comforting
no morning bird nor buzzing cricket
as the sun rises and sets.
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Frank L Meyskens Jr 12/2012