Now, beyond the window, there is no sound.
No wind. No bells. No distant laughter—
Everything feels like it belongs
to a world slightly apart from this one.
The gaze of others
has melted into the background of daily life,
losing all its edges.
I no longer notice it.
No longer do I fear being "seen,"
nor do I try to "show" myself,
as I once did.
Eyes of curiosity, of admiration, of control—
none of them were truly seeing me.
They were only fragments of myself
that existed inside other people.
At last,
I feel as though my soul has quietly settled
into the body that carries it.
And at last, I understand—
To be born,
to live,
and to let time pass in quiet grace—
To desire nothing,
to reject nothing,
simply to breathe within the silence.
—And somewhere,
a church bell rings,
blessing someone's tomorrow.