Assignment:
Respond to one of the questions listed in Bhanu Kapil’s The Vertical Interrogation of Strangers and write ten original vertical response questions.
Response: What are the consequences of silence?
Emptiness. Fear. Fear of emptiness.
There is so much space in silence. The unspoken words and feelings instead take up space in my head. Where it is not as vast, where they fight and tangle into each other.
Silence causes arguments, causes war, causes anger, hate, doubt, misery. Because no words are spoken. There is no mutual understanding or agreement.
Conquering this silence is not easy. I have been taught and trained to avoid silence. And yet I always need a push from someone else to break it.
Silence in the present can be comfortable, I can cocoon myself in its thick impenetrable blanket. But when I must finally emerge, I am not a butterfly. I cannot fly. I instead sink. Sink to my knees, trying to recover what had been lost in that silence.
It can be awkward, and uncomfortable, and intimidating when approached. Maybe thats why people turn to their screens in situations like these. Phones are never silent; they scream and yell and yearn for constant attention.
Silence lost love. Falling. Deep. Cannot be caught within my grasp. Sucked in like a black hole and it won’t let go. I will always regret my silence. Till the day I die, I wish I hadn’t been silent.
And yet, I am still silent about some things. It seems as though it cannot escape me. I have never been the most outgoing person, or the most outspoken person. I am comfortable in hiding behind eyelashes and avoided eye contact.
Questions:
- What is the story behind your name?
- What do you believe in?
- What is your biggest regret?
- Describe your biggest fear.
- Would you rather lose your sight or hearing? Why?
- Describe your favorite place.
- Do you ever wish for a different life?
- What do you think is the biggest problem in the world today?
- Do you think you can do anything to fix it?
- What was your most humiliating experience?
Reflection:
For this assignment, we were meant to get very creative in our responses and write in an abstract way where the writing itself seems like a thinking process. At first it was difficult to write this way because I have never before, but I think I will continue to explore this more creative and free flowing technique for brainstorming and warming up my brain.
