THE OTHER ROOM

​

The Other Room

A faint sound from the other room

echoed in my ear.

A cry for help-

or was it a child’s laugh? 

What exactly was that?

I didn’t quite understand.

I closed my eyes,

as if focus could sharpen my hearing.

And tried to listen again.

The sound - still faint.

Was it someone wailing, 

or someone yelling?

I still wasn’t sure,

but I knew it was something.

I got up from the recliner,

eager to get to the root of it.

Pressing my ear against the door

I tried to listen carefully

Nothing.

Except the sound of silence.

Confused, I came back.

Plopped myself onto the recliner.

And there. 

I heard it again.

The time it wasn’t faint,

it sounded crystal clear.

A soft cry, 

a cry for help.

As if someone was crying,

right next to my ear.

It was happening again,

the third time this week.

It kept getting louder, closer -

just like the last time.

I took a deep breath

and wondered 

when my head 

would stop doing this.