THE ABSENCE OF COLOR

by Lorena Moreno Vera

The relationship we hold with an everyday object like the window is curious. When I lived in the north, I always looked for large windows because every ray of light that filtered into my house was precious to me. People rarely closed their curtains, for this longing was shared. Likewise, the private always seeps into the public through the diaphanous glass.

Now that I have returned to the south, I am struck by how, for the most part, we keep the blinds closed as if shutting out the view. The private is kept in the enclosure, and the public ends at the window ledge.