The Eyes Have It

Eyes speak no lies,
unlike the lips in falsely
upturned lines
curved like spiders
weaving truth out
of a script from the
mind; it lies

Those eyes reveal sadness
when the whole world
laughs and smiles
doubled over at the waist
falling to the floor clutching their sides;
but the eyes don’t lie

Those eyes reveal excitement
when the body is hidden by Pine
the ground reddish brown,
barefoot sinking in soil like
the fingers that mold clay
or the hands that knead dough
while the world remains
hold up and eyes glued
to television sets of
mind numbing “reality”
feeding security like
politicians hiding stakes
and pitchforks aflame
in closets hidden by shelves of
books about charisma and Machiavelli

Those eyes show her confusion
to an equation six figures long
with voices like knives for tongues
Embarrassment fueled by the
consensus of laughter at
her expense because she can’t
understand the dividing of
imaginary digits so unlike
the combining of words
a page long that tell of
her mother’s struggle, her song

And those eyes show her peace
when legs dangle over wood porches
naked feet aching to kiss the earth
Red and Orange streaks painting the sky
as she cries out with her arms
stretching forward as if to
embrace some unseen father
that is strong and brave, present

No, the eyes cannot lie,
so unlike the smiles of flickering lines...