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.