The City Doesn’t Whisper: free verse urban poetry (& song)

August 28, 2025

The City Doesn’t Whisper: free verse urban poetry (& song)

The City Doesn’t Whisper

by Lesley Scoble

A poem about sleeplessness, city noise, and the quiet desperation of trying to find peace.

This lorry is turning right, 
this lorry is turning right,
this lorry is turning right.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep beep…

Beeeeep. Beeeeep.

I can’t sleep.
I can’t sleep.
I can’t sleep.

Sirens—sirening.
Sirens screaming beneath the bedroom window,

I put my head under the pillow.

Oi! Oi! Oi!
Some poor person yells—
like hell!
He hollers loudly:
 a shout!
“My phone’s snatched—
it’s gone.”
No police about.

The smash-and-grabber’s scooted 
on his bike.		Fast.
All that’s left is the yell.

The pillow isn’t working.


_{—Lesley Scoble, August 2025}

Music Audio – The City Doesn’t Whisper

The City Doesn’t Whisper | Lyrics & SoundWeaving©️Lesley Scoble, August 2025

I wrote my noisy poem The City Doesn’t Whisper for Mish’s d’Verse Poetics: It’s Noisy in Here!

THANK YOU
Thank you, Mish for the noisy inspiration! I hope you can hear me. 😁

And to you, the reader—thank you for stopping by. I truly appreciate it.

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22 responses to “The City Doesn’t Whisper: free verse urban poetry (& song)”

Violet Lentz

August 28, 2025 at 12:57 pm

Now this one deserves a video as well! What a production!

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  August 28, 2025 at 1:10 pm
  
  Thank you so much for this huge compliment, Violet! 🙏❤️
  Now I’m itching to make a video. There’s a big film crew filming in the street as I type—I should go and grab ’em! 😁🎥
  
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poetisatinta

August 28, 2025 at 1:18 pm

Brilliant Lesley, and the audio is just perfect 🙌

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  August 28, 2025 at 1:48 pm
  
  Thank you so much, Ange. 💖 I had fun putting the sounds together 🎶 I’m looking forward to your next release 😊 x
  
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  1. poetisatinta
    
    August 28, 2025 at 1:53 pm
    
    ❤️
    
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Nancy’s Notes 🖊️🎶

August 28, 2025 at 2:23 pm

A tour de force, Lesley! Brilliant!

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  August 28, 2025 at 2:30 pm
  
  Wahoo! Thanks, Nancy 🙇‍♀️ 🙏🤗❤️
  
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ben Alexander

August 28, 2025 at 3:35 pm

I thought I’d already left a note on this one, Lesley, but maybe I didn’t by accident.

Either way—I really like how you captured that restless city noise. The repetition of “I can’t sleep” feels so raw to me…

Much love,
David

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lesleyscoble

August 28, 2025 at 6:05 pm

Thank you, David. 🙏💗 I never sulk for long. 😁

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Lincol Martín

August 29, 2025 at 5:16 am

A poem that perfectly captures the noise and chaos of the city, conveying the helplessness of not being able to escape or rest. Very real and powerful.

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  August 29, 2025 at 3:19 pm
  
  Enormous thanks, Lincol. I truly appreciate your beautiful review. 🙏🤗❤️
  
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murisopsis

August 30, 2025 at 3:54 am

I grew up in the country – nothing but tree frogs, cicada, and an occasional far off train whistle… It was always hard to fall asleep at my grandmother’s house since it sat right on the main drag and all night was car lights in the windows and the sounds of traffic and sirens…. I can relate to this poem!!

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  September 1, 2025 at 12:06 pm
  
  Oh, how I’d love to hear tree frogs! You are very lucky, Muri. 🐸 We have little frogs in a local pond—the fox plays with them (which make me hopping mad as it doesn’t help our frog population). I love the sound of bull frogs that we hear in a nature reserve… 💚
  
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Grace

August 30, 2025 at 1:37 pm

Good read. I cannot sleep in those noises.

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  August 31, 2025 at 8:41 am
  
  Thank you, Grace. 😊 The noise can interfere with one’s slumber somewhat. 😫 I wish you a quiet and dreamy night.
  
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Rosemary Nissen-Wade

August 31, 2025 at 6:32 am

Oh, that’s wonderful! Brilliant on the page, and stunning in the audio.

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  August 31, 2025 at 8:44 am
  
  Thank you so much for this amazing compliment, Rosemary 🙏 I truly appreciate it. 💗
  
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Stonehead

August 31, 2025 at 12:44 pm

Excellent work, Lesley. You’ve nailed the relentlessness of city noise, that barrage of sirens and beeps that loops in your head until sleep’s impossible. I used to live in London (East Ham, Kennington, Walthamstow) so I know those sounds all too well. By coincidence, I’d just uploaded a sound poem of my own before wondering what you’d been up to. Mine’s from a different angle: more rural, though not exactly peaceful. It imagines what might happen if the ancient stone circle across the road from our croft suddenly decided to burst into song. A kind of guttural, other-worldly chorus. A proper rock song. If you’re curious: Stonehead Mouth-Song. It wreaked havoc with my throat!

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  September 1, 2025 at 12:51 pm
  
  Thank you so much, Dennis. 😊💗
  I shall head over to yours — it sounds fascinating! Btw, I love rock! I’m a true head banger. 🎸
  
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Björn Rudberg (brudberg)

August 31, 2025 at 3:57 pm

I am glad I don’t have those noises where I live.

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1. lesleyscoble
  
  August 31, 2025 at 4:42 pm
  
  That’s fortunate, Björn.
  
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Melissa Lemay

September 10, 2025 at 12:38 am

Reminds me of when I used to live in the city.

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