Monday, February 07, 2011

looking vs seeing

what do you see when you look at me?
when you look into my eyes of clear blue
do you see joy, or sadness, or anger,
and do any of them seem true?
what do you see when you look at me?
when my eyes go from blue to silvery gray
are they dark as the sky is at nighttime?
or are they, perhaps, bright like the day?
what do you see when you look at me?
when my face is scrunched up with laughter or smiles
do they appear genuine, or a genuine effort?
do you notice the grief thats been there a while?
what do you see when you look at me?
when my eyes fill to the brim with tears
do you see me a blubbering child of 4?
do i look old beyond my years?
what do you see when you look at me?
when you peer in the windows of my soul
do i appear shattered and broken
or do you perceive me as a whole?
what do you see when you look at me?
when i'm dead-beat as a human can be
do you see me trapped in my own emotions?
do i look desperate to be set free?
what do you see when you look at me?
when i'm so bubbly i could practically burst
do i give off the vibe that i'll take on the world?
can you find, through the bubbles, the heart that hurts?
what do you see when you look at me?
when you ask how i've truly been
when i answer "just totally perfect"
do you notice the pain etched within?
what do you see when you look at me?
when i'm light as the lightest of hearts
do i seem like i've got it together?
can you tell that i'm falling apart?
what do you see when you look at me?
what shows up inside my eyes?
do you expect everything you see there?
does anything take you by surprise?


what matters most in the end, you see
what matters the most in the end to me
its not being what is expected to be.
when asked "what do you see when you look at me?"
its those who can honestly see me.
the true me.

10 comments:

Ayesha Monique said...

Oh my gosh, this is really good. You have a real gift

Unknown said...

Such talent with words. wow. x

Bonnie said...

the words are insightful or are they?

Your soul is showing I think. Keep it safe.

sweet pea. said...

they are, i think. at least a little. this piece in particular even surprises me a bit every time i read it.

it might be showing.
and im trying to keep it safe, but im not sure how good of a job im doing.
<3

Bhargav Bhatt said...

dun be so cruel to ur ownself... let the art yet take its own course..

extraordinaire.... kp cheering

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

love it,

playful, powerful, and beautiful word play.

Happy Rally.

Isabel said...

lovely. looking forward to reading more of your poetry

The Poet said...

A heartfelt write.
Some people are very good at hiding their feelings, so one only ever gets a glimpse of his/her true self.

The repetition make this a very powerful piece.

Beautifully expressed.

SamaraMarie said...

I like the repetition of the line, "What do you see when you look at me?" It's powerful because it seems like only a select few really know how to look through someone to know what's really on their mind. Well written.

Hyde Park Poetry Palace said...

THIS IS DEEP AND HEARTFELT.

KEEP IT UP.

WELCOME BACK TO POETS RALLY.