But dear they may not speak
In an effort to get people to look into each others eyes more, the government has decided to allot each person with 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 words today, I saved the rest for you.' When she doesn't respond, I know she's used up all of 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 each other breathe.
-Jeffery McDaniel