Hearing The Emotions

Embarrassment sounds like your elementary school class roaring with laughter and the tapping on the desk with the yard stick by the teacher, after you blurt out the wrong answer and you clearly knew the correct one. It’s the sound the wooden chair makes when snapping and falling to the ground from being old, but the person feels they are too heavy; embarrassment is the sound of the washing machine running for the 3^rd time that day, because it wasn’t possible to make it to the bathroom in time.

Love is the sound of tires on the gravel in the driveway, then shutting of the car door. Hearing the footsteps on the front porch, the door opening and bags dropping to the floor. Love is jumping awake when the phone rings at 3am and hearing the voice on the other end when you answer; that name you can’t get over or live without and stops you in your tracks when hearing it. Love sounds like laughing from a stupid joke, but not because the joke was actually funny. The sound of love is two beating hearts, connecting into one.

Frustration is hearing all the same lotto numbers as on your ticket, except the last one. When you hear the stall in your car, because you forgot to put gas in the night before and you’re running late. The sound of frustration is hearing yourself say the same thing on repeat a dozen times, because the person you’re talking to decides to zone elsewhere. Frustration sounds like that one item hitting the floor each time you drop it, because your fingers decide to go limp on you all day.

Excitement is the sound of the squeal in a voice that just received amazing news; it’s the sound of your first car starting and slowly revving up as you hit the pedal. Excitement is hearing kids playing with new toys on Christmas morning and the sound of the crinkling wrapping paper being stomped on all over the living room. The sound of the crowd as they roar with cheer when your name is called to sing that final performance; that’s what excitement sounds like.

Anger sounds like a hungry wolf, snarling it’s lips and letting out a deep and haunting growl. Its the crushing sound of concrete smashing together, then crumbling into rocks and hit with a sledge hammer, until there’s nothing left except dust. Anger sounds like a couple fighting after a drunken night of truths; her hateful lashings echo all around. When your boss tells you to stay late after work because of a situation you had nothing to do with, your blood starts to boil and you hear that high pitch buzz– you know you hear anger coming.

Terrified is the chilling sound of glass breaking in the middle of the night and nobody else is home. The sound you think you hear, but really it’s the silence that is making everything around you seem loud. Terrified is the jingle of keys in the darkness, a deep breathing from the shadowy corner of your room late at night; the big boom from your basement, after messing with the Ouija board at witching hour and the light, cool breeze that brushes across your face, after you have the blankets pulled over your head.

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