Ring a Bell

Tinnitus tinnitus, innocuous by name,
invisible tasteless, sounds pretty lame,
Ears hissing, snakes inside my head, 
Growing louder, causing turmoil in bed,
Room’s spinning, feel like getting sick,
Banging kicks off, rhythmically quick. 

Tinnitus tinnitus, pneumatic drillers, 
incessant maniacal machine gun killers,
Thumping smashing, trash metal band, 
Like rock music, but this I cannot stand,
Eyes are bloodshot, severe lack of sleep, 
cacophonous noise, then marching feet. 

Tinnitus tinnitus, chainsaws a cutting, 
No trees or lumberjacks, I see nothing,
Put on the radio, try drown out noise,
overwhelmed, lose rationale and poise,
Church bells peeling, ringing perhaps, 
overloaded, mind spirals into collapse. 

Tinnitus tinnitus, curse this living hell, 
hammering my face, eyes begin to swell,
Delirious sweating, sheets soaking wet, 
overcome in confusion, desperate upset,
Pray to god make the torment go away 
release me from this Kafkaesque array. 

Tinnitus tinnitus, eardrums explode, 
Brain is shattered, as decibels grow,
Can’t take anymore, at my wits end, 
On slugs of whiskey, sanity depends,
One after the other, knock them back,
Throbbing numbing starting to relax. 

Tinnitus tinnitus, drink myself unconscious, 
Wake up next day, agonizingly nauseous,
My ear is on the pillow, bottle’s in pieces,
covered with blood, trembling increases,
Look in the mirror, No no this cannot be,
Vincent Van Gough’s, staring back at me. 

By
David Kavanagh
Copyright © | Year Posted 2020

Poem

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De Beaulieu Avatar
May 15, 2020 at 5:40 PM
Hello David kavanagh, I think that you had a nightmare. Enjoy your evening my friend.
De Beaulieu Avatar
May 17, 2020 at 12:50 PM
Hello David Kavanagh,you have a good point. Enjoy your day my friend. Enjoy your day my friend.
Kavanagh  Avatar
May 16, 2020 at 8:26 AM
Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish reality when in a semi conscious state of delirium cheers David
Pigeon Tart Avatar
April 19, 2020 at 6:40 PM
Oh WOW! I have it too, but my guess is not as bad. Affective and visceral penning! Love the end, was not expecting that. A fave. I wish you peace of brain. xomo
Kavanagh  Avatar
April 20, 2020 at 1:56 AM
Actually wrote the poem from my diary memos It’s a very unsettling disorder when it morphs into a jackhammer in the bedroom, on meds now to suppress but still get bad nights, van gough had it really bad can understand why he took extreme measures thank you for your kind comments, sleep well and prosper cheers David
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