I Don’t Want to Fill the Silence Anymore

When I wake up in the morning

I don’t want to fill the silence anymore,

With songs playing on the speaker

Or a thousand cat posts on Instagram.

Instead, I want to stand on the balcony

And listen to the neighbor’s old bike start.

A nearby temple’s bell rings,

A dog whines and barks at a distance.

Birds chirp on the tree under my balcony

And I become one with my surroundings.

When the thoughts come pouring into my head,

I do not hush them,

They flow as quietly or as angrily as they want. 

When the morning comes again,

I do not wish to fill the silence anymore,

But embrace the world, the day, and myself without resistance.