In the Silence of the Night Sky

"...tenderness depends on how little the world touches you." -Ocean Vuong As a child, I would often sleep with the TV on so that when I woke I wasn't startled by darkness. I could see the room, make sure I was alone. The fuzzy faces on the screen provided some strange comfort. What I experienced at night put everyone in shadow and I questioned the intent of those I encountered. A child is at the mercy of what surrounds them. How does a child cope with a world they feel is inherently unsafe? How does it form who they become?