in an effort to get people to look into each other's eyes more, 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 and 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. - "the quiet world" av jeffrey mcdaniel
