He sits in silence, not because he has nothing to say, but because his thoughts are heavy.
Life has already spoken to him in many ways.
His eyes look forward, yet they carry the past.
Small moments.
Hard lessons.
Things learned that words can’t express.
The world around him is wicked.
Life pulls in many directions.
But he stays still.
There is strength in that stillness.
The type that grows slowly.
His face shows patience.
His lips stay closed, protecting his thoughts, from the outside world.
He is listening more than speaking.
This is a boy becoming himself.
Learning who he is.
Standing quietly in a wicked world.
materials
Charcoal and crayon on paper
11x16 inch