INCOMPLETE LIST

this is an incomplete list of noises 
that are some way comforting 

cars parking in the street
at night
when 
i'm stretched out searching for sleep
the
soft
machine clunk of the drivers door
and
a jimmy-rattle
of
house
keys

whir of washing machine in the kitchen
slowing down and speeding up
at
the
end
of
cycle

music in another room
different
and
distant - muted-clear

a tv in another room
unidentified clipped chatter
of
an
old
pictureless
movie

(maybe just the sound of stuff in other rooms . . .)

milk floats at dawn
their
electric
whine
and
chime
of
bottles
hear it coming from far away down other streets

the shift change siren yelling over the miles
and
fog
horns
out
on
the thames at any time of day

and of course gentle rain on the evening window
or
the trickle-drip
of
rain
out
the gutter after a storm

the hum and chew of summer mowers
just
after
i
got
up
on
some
empty
weekend
morning