sound and silence

my room in the middle of the night:
the most overt sound is the fan. it's not over bearing, or intrusive, but rather the opposite, melodic and rhythmic. this is the medium setting. low gives off no air, and high causes an annoying "clinking" sound of the pull-chain on the light. the sound of the fan is not that of it's motor actually running (or its machine-esque properties, per se), but rather the friction of it's inability to stay still. it is the physical moving of the fan, creaking as it sways in a very patterned, straight-line motion, backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards. it's late at night, so every once in a while, and randomly, the house creaks as it settles into place for sleep. some are bigger and louder than others, almost signifying a yawn. the air conditioning comes on in approximately 15-minute intervals, and stays on for about 5 minutes at a time, humming away in the corner, albeit very noticeably. suddenly, and without reason, my computer will stir, and the RAM starts whirling away, taking care of some internal business. as if provoked by that, my external hard drive kicks into gear, and seemingly tries to emulate a plane preparing for takeoff. after a minute, they are both silent again. suddenly the dog sighs, and i am reminded that it is laying on the floor next to my bed, in virtual silence. this starts a chain reaction from the dog, a licking of lips and general resettling adjustments, trying to get comfortable for sleep.

--and i must have, because i wake up some hours later with my door open and my desk lamp on, homework scattered all over my bed, crushed in dreams...



my backyard in the morning:
i am rarely up at 9am with enough time to sit and enjoy my backyard, but it is sunday, and i've decided to take advantage. the pool pump is obnoxiously cranking away, creating an unnatural sound of rushing (flushing?) water. birds are making noise in the distance (none seem too close), and i can distinguish at least six different types. some are light and airy chirps, other are pointed and direct and loud, most of them in rhythm. directly behind me is a wall of bamboo and other plants, and i can hear bumble bees and other winged creatures fluttering around in the flowers. my neighbor begins moving around and i hear him open the door of his shed. my stomach growls, time for breakfast. cars are going by every once in a while, but softly. the symphony of insects cranks up from all around, almost as if in unison, and the humming of wings comes and goes in about 15 second waves, starting off soft and then growing louder, and then falling silent. new and different bird sounds are popping up everywhere, continuous, and from every angle. a bee just flew dangerously close, and very quickly, by my ear. i hear a new, heavier rustling sound behind me. i make a guesstimate. i turn around, and was right, there is a small green lizard jumping around on the leaves. a car with an old, loud engine drives by and assails my ears. but shortly, the "natural silence" returns. if i listen very closely, i can almost hear the sun rising, waking up all of the creatures and bringing the world back to life. a wispy but potent breeze comes through and rustles up the leaves of the palm tree, and for a good minute or two, i forget that i'm doing homework.