Fewer Inputs

I take in less now
than I used to,
not because it overwhelms me,
but because it isn’t needed.
I don’t keep everything open
just to stay informed,
and I don’t follow each signal
to its end.

There are fewer tabs open,
fewer voices at once,
and I don’t fill the space
with background noise
to keep it active.
If something doesn’t arrive clearly,
I don’t pursue it,
and I don’t compensate
for what I didn’t receive.

Fewer inputs.
Still functions.

I read enough to understand
what’s happening,
and stop before it becomes
another obligation.
I don’t respond immediately,
and I don’t keep checking
to see if something has changed
since the last time I looked.

There are conversations
I don’t continue,
not because they end badly,
but because they don’t add anything
to what’s already here.
Nothing improves by accumulation,
and nothing clarifies
once it exceeds capacity.

Fewer inputs.
Still functions.

I leave it quiet.