The Quiet World

The Quiet World

by Jeffrey McDaniel

In an effort to get people to look
into each other’s eyes more,
and also to appease the mutes,
the government has decided
to allot each person exactly one hundred   
and sixty-seven words, per day.

When the phone rings, I put it to my ear   
without saying hello. In the restaurant   
I point at chicken noodle soup.
I am adjusting well to the new way.

Late at night, I call my long distance lover,   
proudly say I only used fifty-nine today.   
I saved the rest for you.

When she doesn’t respond,
I know she’s used up all her words,   
so I slowly whisper I love you
thirty-two and a third times.
After that, we just sit on the line   
and listen to each other breathe.

I was reading back my old journal when I came across this beautiful poem which pickle introduced to me a few years back. Reading it again really struck me how meaningful this poem is - how ridiculous it is to be only limited by 167 words per day and yet an ingenious idea to make every word count for something. How this would ensure that every word is thoroughly thought through before it is spoken, filtering out all the careless and impulsive verbal diarrhea and leaving the essence of what is truly important.

Sometimes, this also reminds us of what can be expressed in silence, how we can be with each other and enjoy each other's company without having to say a single word. How by just listening to each other breathe, already speaks volumes by itself.

Too far

Sometimes I wonder how two people who are miles apart can be closer than two people who are physically near each other.

How did we come to this stage?

Life is too damn short, for it to be slogged away and invested into something that you can't take with you to your grave.

Self-absorbed

Forgive me for this narcissistic post but I miss my long hair 😩 a self reminder to think twice before chopping off my hair again..especially when I'm well aware of my wavy messy hair texture sigh.

Goodbye long (messy) but manageable hair.

The Luckiest, I am

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns

The stumbles and falls brought me here

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know that I am
I am, I am the luckiest

Little outbursts

So recently I've been feeling a little adventurous..which led me to chopping off my hair, again. Some humans just never learn.

You know how sometimes you get these crazy spurts of wanting to do something really different so you jump into it without considering the consequences..yes well now I am at the stage where I am trying to accept the aftermath of my impulsive move.

Time is passing way too fast again for my liking. There are so many changes in my life and I am always so torn between wanting time to slow down, and for the weekdays to fly by on Mondays. I guess I have to learn how to stop and smell the roses on Tuesdays to Thursdays too.

Anyway, for all the occasional times I pause to drop by here to add in a little note, 2014 has been a pretty great year so far - A and I confirmed our little nest recently and that was an extremely surreal and also slightly (maybe more) panicky moment, knowing that we had just signed possibly majority of our life to clear the housing debt and more importantly, an unspoken commitment to spend our lives together. Were we ready for this? I don't know..but how will you ever know when you are ready?

I didn't feel ready, I don't feel ready, and in case you are wondering, A hasn't officially asked me to spend my life with him yet haha (any time soon love...no pressure)..but i guess we took a leap of faith because we love each other and we are trusting that this love is going to sustain us through the difficulties of reality, managing and budgeting our finances, time and commitment to each other and those around us.

If there's anything I am sure of though, it is that I wouldn't have anyone else but A to face the unexpected with, and perhaps this is enough for now.

On another note, I am superbly excited because I am going to be an Aunt soon and if there is anything that this family needs right now, it will be a bouncing bundle of joy! :D I am already fantasizing bringing the beanie out to play and gai gai and maybe he/she can even be my adorable little ring-bearer :} The dilemma of wanting Dec to arrive quickly so that i can meet my niece/nephew and wanting to savour every moment of 2014.

I am going to end this as abruptly as I began. Till I drop by again!