Tinnitus by David Martin

March 2, 2023
Poem title: Tinnitus Poet name: David Martin Poem: My ear is humming a song that lasts all night and day. The song has one note, and it never varies in rhythm or tempo: fermata forever waiting for its conductor to end the plight. You might be thinking this pitch is like a bite, and that I spend my hours wishing to sever the roar, or trick it with something very clever to shut it up and stop the dissonant fight. But I don’t mind this vexing cry of wind (much) anymore that’s caught inside my head, a reminder that my every thought is sonic. The words I speak are pedal-pointed, pinned to this song that will be with me till I’m dead, a single tone that’s stretched for me, my tonic. End of poem. Credits and bio: Copyright © David Martin David Martin works as a literacy instructor in Calgary and as an organizer for the Single Onion Poetry Series. His first collection, Tar Swan (NeWest Press, 2018), was a finalist for the Raymond Souster Award and the City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Book Prize. David’s work has been awarded the CBC Poetry Prize, and has been shortlisted for prizes from FreeFall, Vallum, and PRISM international. As well, his poems have appeared in numerous journals across Canada. His next collection, Kink Bands, will be published by NeWest Press in 2023.