You Are Falling Asleep

Eugeny Grishkovets

About Eugeny Grishkovets

Еugeny Grishkovets (Евге́ний Гришкове́ц, b. 1967) is a Russian writer, playwright, actor, and monologist. He became famous in the late 1990s for a new kind of theater sometimes called “confessional minimalism.” His work focuses on ordinary moments, inner monologues, memories, and the delicate awareness of being alive. Grishkovets often performs his own texts on stage, speaking directly to the audience with intimacy and calm, as if sharing a private conversation. His writing resonates because it slows us down, invites empathy, and finds beauty in the small, fleeting experiences of life.

About This Poem

You’re Falling Asleep is a gentle, intimate piece addressed to a beloved, guiding them through the quiet moments before sleep. The text blends tenderness with a sense of longing, softly promising reunion — “Мы скоро встретимся” (“We will meet soon”). Its rhythm mirrors the slow surrender to rest, creating a feeling of closeness and trust between the speaker and the listener.

Video Performance

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Ты засыпа́ешь, я это зна́ю
Ты в темноте́, ты засыпа́ешь.
Не говори́шь по телефо́ну, не чита́ешь,
Ты засыпа́ешь.

И у тебя́ за закры́тыми глаза́ми
Там не тьма, там ка́пли све́та,
Оста́тки дня, кото́рый та́ет.
Ты в темноте́, ты засыпа́ешь,
Я это зна́ю.

У меня́ то же са́мое - я засыпа́ю.
Не говорю́ по телефо́ну, не чита́ю,
Ты засыпа́ешь, и я засыпа́ю.

А что у меня́ есть?
Ничего́ у меня́ нет.
Есть, пра́вда, оди́н вопро́с
И к нему́ два отве́та.
Есть о́бувь, есть оде́жда,
Есть каки́е-то де́ньги,
Есть наде́жда,
Есть не́сколько друзе́й,
В па́мяти каки́е-то ли́ца,
Не́сколько книг,
Там же кино́, каки́е-то слова́...

Но ско́ро и э́того не бу́дет,
Потому́ что я засыпа́ю,

Мы сейча́с встре́тимся.
Я засыпа́ю, и ты засыпа́ешь.
Мы в темноте́, мы засыпа́ем,
Ты засыпа́ешь, и я засыпа́ю.

Не говори́м по телефо́ну, не чита́ем,
Ты засыпа́ешь, я это зна́ю.
Сейча́с мы встре́тимся,
Ты засыпа́ешь, и я засыпа́ю…

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You are falling asleep, I know.
You are in darkness, you are falling asleep.
You do not talk on the phone, you do not read,
You are falling asleep.

And behind your closed eyes
It's not darkness there, it's drops of light,
The remnants of the day melting away.
You are in darkness, you are falling asleep.
This I know.

With me it is the same – I am falling asleep.
I don’t talk on the phone, I don’t read.
You are falling asleep, and I am falling asleep.

And what do I have?
I have nothing.
There is, it’s true, one question,
And with it two answers.
There are shoes, there are clothes,
There is some money,
There is hope,
There are a few friends,
In memory, some faces,
A few books,
Also a movie theatre, some words.

But soon even these will no longer be,
Because I am falling asleep.

We soon will meet.
I am falling asleep, and you are falling asleep.
We are in the dark, we are falling asleep.
You are falling asleep, and I am falling asleep.

We are not talking on the phone, not reading.
You are falling asleep, and I know this.
Soon we will meet.
You are falling asleep, and I am falling asleep…

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