Crowded Silence
A Visual Essay
by Yevgeniy Babichenko
A Visual Essay
by Yevgeniy Babichenko
it starts as a low frequency vibrating behind the eyes.
seeing the world through a lens i can't wipe clean.
a thousand shoulders navigating a very small room.
the lights are humming too loud to hear myself think.
feeling the grit of the air against my palms.
searching for my reflection in a window pane.
waiting for the metal doors to slide shut.
sitting perfectly still so i don't break the silence.
keep walking until the floor feels solid again.
my fingers are trembling in the glare of the street.
everything is turning into a streak of grey.
another door leading to an identical hallway.
EXIT ONLY
reading the signs but forgetting the destination.
swallow the noise before it swallows you.
white noise everywhere i look.
breathing into a cardboard box in my mind.
the vertigo of a conversation i can't finish.
counting the footsteps until i'm alone again.
unplug the room and leave the lights on.
SHHHH
recovery is a silent room with no windows.
Crowded Silence • Yevgeniy Babichenko