gradually we became aware of a hum in the room an electrical hum in the room it went mmmmmm we followed it from corner to corner we pressed our ears against the walls we crossed diagonals and put our hands on the floor it went mmmmmm sometimes it was a murmur sometimes it was a pulse sometimes it seemed to disappear but then with a quarter turn of the head it would roll around the sofa a nimbus humming cloud mmmmmm maybe it s the hum of a calm refrigerator cooling on the big night mmmmmm cooling on the big night maybe it s the hum of our parents voices long ago in a soft light mmmmmm long ago in a dimmed light mmmmmm maybe it s the hum of changing opinion or a foreign language in prayer mmmmmm or a foreign language in prayer maybe it s the mantra of the walls and wiring deep breathing in soft air mmmmmm deep breathing in soft air mmmmmm