23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
The weight of life
A phantom's voice coils in my ear and I feel the weight of its breath. I whisper, “If only we had lived differently in this land.” If only this illusion would end and I could fly above it. I weave a dream and wrap it around life. It collapses; life always overpowers the will of its people—because against all this dream’s weightlessness, the weight of life is heavier.
Photo Detail
| Date Taken: | 09.2025 |
| Date Uploaded: | 11.2025 |
| Photo Location: | Mashhad, Iran |
| Copyright: | © Parisa Akhtari |