The following poem was the 02 Haiku journal’s “Editor Feature” on 29 October 2025, with commentary by the editors. See also “The Three Oddest Words” by Wisława Szymborska.
listen
ilsten
islten
silten
siletn
silent
The mind, engulfed in a swirling whirlpool of blurred thoughts, battered relentlessly, until . . . relief. This month’s Editor Feature goes to this piece. Two words have never been more skillfully crafted as a metaphor for the human experience. Participants of this worldly experiment, brought to their knees in search of guidance, answers, or connection—listening. All they are given is noise . . . dissonant sounds of wants and desires, clamouring with thoughts of expectation and hesitation. It is only then, amongst the din, that our subject understands their purpose; and in their reflection—silence.
—Kevin Irigoyen Penatello and Samantha Pardo Irigoyen, 02 Haiku editors