October 19, 2026
The Gift I Give Myself
By Jane Butkin Wagner
Our voices turn so easily into
too much noise.
The gift I give myself
is a day of silence so that I might
retrieve what has been lost in the clamor—
of cars, the frenzy, the gossip—
what we mistake for connection.
In silence, I watch the leaves,
each crimson and tangerine hue
more brilliant than the next on its slow descent—
as if a message is there for the reading.
In silence, I hear the wind
crackling its own stormy song.
In silence, I notice
a branch bending in the wind,
as if to lean closer, to whisper in my ear
its timeless secrets.
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