With apologies to Wallace Stevens.
Thirteen Ways of Hearing a Cicada
A rare dual brood emergence of cicadas is happening this spring, and it will not happen for another 221 years, according to entomologists. These insects can create sounds that often hit 90-100 decibels, which is louder than a hair dryer.
“The Year of the Periodical Cicadas,” The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture, March 26, 2024
I
The first parties emerge
Like scouts, inspecting the land.
You hear a whir, a hiss, the sound
Of one winding a mechanical clock
Or a music box.
A small intrusion
Into the noises of mid-spring:
the chirping robins, yodeling cardinals,
hammering woodpeckers.
Continue reading “Thirteen Ways of Hearing a Cicada (a poem)”
Andrew Careaga 