On the bus to university, I found myself standing next to an old classmate from elementary school. We started talking, almost without thought. We caught up on what we’re doing now, what our batchmates are up to, how he’s handling his OJT, and how my month is packed with productions.
It’s worth noting two things. First, I am almost always tired from the constant movement of life. Second, time seems to pass faster than we realize.
Life often feels like a never-ending race to keep up. We are either swept along in the whirlwind or left behind, trying to catch our breath. We check our phones, answer emails, and run from one task to the next. In the middle of all this, it’s easy to forget that quiet exists and can exist as a space where we can truly notice and feel. Maybe that’s why, even though I was exhausted, I couldn’t pass up the chance to talk to an old friend. For a few minutes, I could put the rest of the world on pause and simply listen to what he had to say. In these moments, there is a kind of Kind that doesn’t demand attention but quietly changes the way we experience life.
Perhaps
That emptiness you feel when it's over,
It's nothing but space,
To newly seek and discover.
In “The Void” by Kalpesh Desai, this idea is explored with striking clarity. The poem presents emptiness as a threshold that allows reflection and renewal. The void is both literal and metaphorical: it is the silence after an ending, the calm in between events, and the internal space where we confront ourselves.
What makes Desai’s approach compelling is his ability to frame emptiness as productive rather than threatening. The void is not a vacuum to fear; it is an invitation to engage with what is often overlooked in daily life. In the pauses between words and between moments in life, there exists a subtle grace, often overlooked. It is the chance to notice, to breathe, and to rediscover what was hidden in the rush of constant movement.
I know we didn't speak a lot,
And yet we remember all that was unsaid.
We embraced what is, and what is not,
What's behind us and what lies ahead.
Desai’s “What Lies Ahead” captures that kind of quiet awareness that follows reflection and stillness. Even in moments where little is spoken, there is a deep understanding of what has passed and what is yet to come. “We embraced what is, and what is not, / What's behind us and what lies ahead,” he writes, reminding us that life’s most ordinary, unnoticed moments allow us to hold both memory and possibility at the same time.
We don’t need grand gestures or loud conversations to notice life’s beauty. Sometimes, simply being present, listening, and acknowledging what exists brings clarity. The quiet moments give us the space to recognize that what lies ahead is not only unknown but also full of potential, and that even in stillness, life continues to move forward gently, offering small moments of insight and connection.
Ultimately, the quiet isn’t empty. On the contrary, it’s full. Full of small wonders, hidden meanings, and gentle truths. It teaches us that life can be observed, appreciated, and held lightly. Through Desai’s Jasmines in Her Hair, we can be reminded to learn to notice these moments. Through this, we discover a more profound sense of appreciation and presence that stays with us even when the world starts moving fast again.