The Oddness of My Pupils.

Imagine that suddenly your pupils intake

all the light of the world.

my dark, abnormally 

large pupils,

want to take in everything.

they try to see the entirety of the world.

like a small child, 

asking why clouds don’t sink.

why days can be gray,

where the stars go. 

and remembering every response,

Every color,

like curious children, infants,

looking at everything at once. 

by god am I astonished,

for I see so much.

but now, all grown up,

many days I pretend 

my eyes are small,

that I share the pupils 

of people

Whose eyes don't try to 

look at each flower petal.

so that I can do such things as 

drive, speak, walk with purpose

aware of my surroundings,

instead of living within my eyes.

for the world in my pupils is bright,

chronically beautiful,

feverishly present

in the moment,

but sometimes,

the roads I walk 

are crooked,

I fall into potholes,

I have obligations.

I need to be a person, 

sustain my body, my mind, 

but just enough, so that

I can continue to sneak away 

in empty moments

quiet as shadows,

around corners where I 

can open my eyes wide

and truly see.