sol.ace_r

Watching someone repeat the same words in a different voice,
at first I tried to understand,
then I tried to explain,
and then I tried to adjust myself.

Thinking it might change even a little,
I altered the ends of sentences,
and chose different words,
but in the end, the responses were always similar,
and we kept passing the same place over and over again.

Only then did I realize.
This wasn’t a conversation,
but the act of rereading a sentence
whose ending had already been decided.

Their words only took the form of a question,
but the content was already fixed.

So I stop speaking more.
Because I’ve learned that no matter what I say, it leads to the same place.

I let go of the effort
and fold away my expectations.

It feels like the conversation is continuing,
but within it,
I no longer try to move forward.

Even knowing the same words will return,
I simply listen.