(no subject)
in an effort to get people to look into each other's eyes more, the government has decided to allow 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 and proudly say: "i only used fifty-nine today. i saved the rest for you."
when he doesn't respond, i know he's used up all his 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.