Aliyah Newman

Today is a holiday from talking.

No I do not know how to use my booming delicious voice nor do i know how to flick tongue to
teeth to change vowels into least favorite consonants, nor would I even want to.

Yes I have practiced and made small batty sounds which sometimes are enjoyed by myself or
close friends, and yes I may practice often, seven and a half months out of the year I really
honest to goodness make normal, common, and frequent even coherent sounds which in turn
provide me the vessel of understandingness with those i interact with.

But just barely and never enough, and when my rest day or days arrive, spanning months even
and often, I then forget again how to project those thoughts and saliva-filled teeth which were
once taught to share them.

others fear me or fear for me; muteness is selectively sexy but most disgusting and off-putting
unless you look especially beautiful.

In those cases, I’ve even known some who’ve came to resent their wicked good looks and
chose to exercise autonomous extremes such as auto-dentistry and when successful and ugly,
they have either greatly aged or infantilize themselves. In these rare but probable cases,
muteness can serve to increase desirability so long as they are not mouth breathers. None of
this applies to me so I drink sour eggnog behind my parents back and enjoy when everyone I
love leaves.

For a day or days I am alone and silent, I hate carrols.

welcome and happy quiet