If I Could Hear Perfectly for Just One Day

If I could hear perfectly 
For just one day,
I’d ask everyone to whisper
Facing away,
Just to experience, for just one day
The exquisite naturalness
Of hearing perfectly.

If I could hear perfectly

For just one hour,

I’d ask someone to call me

From another room

So I could understand, just this once.

The amazing feat

Of hearing through walls.

If I could hear perfectly

For just one minute,

I’d ask the birds to sing

All at once.

Just to be able, for a glorious moment

To tell them apart,

Bird from bird.

While I can only hear perfectly

For just one moment,

From time to time

Still – I throw thanks to the gods

For the infinite gift and exquisite beauty

of Assisted Hearing all of the time.