Page 182 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 5 #2
P. 182
"Actually, I never do. A photograph is ward. His eyes, usually bearing a playful
an invitation. Like any invitation, it can countenance, loomed with a serious-
accepted or declined. I have no con- ness that I knew meant he was in deep
trol." thought.
"But I am not asking about the invitation.
I am asking how you know a photograph Silently. Still.
you have created is good. I can't ac-
cept the idea that you don't somehow Minutes had passed without a word be-
know." ing spoken. Highly unusual. Our time to-
"In the moment, there is nothing to gether is consumed with conversation.
know. There is only stillness and si- Sometimes it is more serious that at
lence. There is only the confluence of others, but it is rare for there to be
past, present and future. There is only any silence when we are together.
now and I cease to exist apart from
it." It was my turn to bring my cup to my Moments earlier, on our way to the cof-
lips. fee shop, we sat side by side in his
Clearly perplexed, she opened her car. The past several days had been
mouth as if ready to speak, then paused tough, so I slouched back in the pas-
perhaps reconsidering her question senger seat, and let myself drift away. I
and my answer. turned to Mark about half way between
Like the faded afternoon of the Dan- his house and the coffee shop and
gling Conversation, we sat in silence said, "Are you OK?"
over our cups of coffee. Lost in our Mark's face immediately turned red.
indifference. "So," she said as the "Are you in my head?" he said. I could
shadows pulled long across the coffee tell from his response that though he
shop, "Did you enjoy Yale?" feigned humor, he was shocked that I
was able to experience whatever he
Yes, we speak of things that mat- was feeling enough to know that he was
ter, in words that must be said. unsettled.
Can analysis be worthwhile? Is "Of course," I said, teasingly and play-
the theater really dead? fully disarming his uneasiness. "Where
else would I be? After all, your head is
...Mark put his coffee cup on the table such an interesting place to be."
between us as though marking a bound- "It isn't safe to go into my head - or
ary I was not to cross. He leaned for- anyone else's - alone."
"Yeah, well there is that," I said. "No wor-
182 | Silently Still
