things that are loud but should be quiet

Helicopters, and grandfather clocks. Waterfalls, and gossip.

The T.V. in the morning, and the T.V. at night. Billboards along the highway. Words, spoken in anger.

The off-key singer who doesn't know she's off-key. The one-hundredth reminder about the same thing. Past lovers that can't seem to let go. Mindless revenge, passionless lust, and toilets, when they flush.

Doubt, persisting. Parrots, screeching. Cats, having sex. And awkward silences.

That one cellphone ringing in the middle of a good movie. The intellect who believes we are all beneath him. Gunshots, feudalism, the misuse of power in our courts, people who say "we will not triumph," and the microwave, while preparing a midnight snack.

My hungry stomach during a serious conversation. The lifeguard that tells us not to run. Your eyes when you gaze at me across the room. The passing of time that will never return. My pulse when you lean in for a kiss.

Clichés.