A Way of Seeing

A Way of Seeing 

I said

“Good morning”

to the sky…and the sky said

“Tangerine.”

I watched the child say

“Hop, hop!”

to the squatting frog…

and the frog replied back with a short but rather high hop and a

“Blink, blink.”

I watched the green ocean ebb and flow and I saw the waves slap at the sky

and the sky said back

“I will embrace you with my azure

blue.”

I watched the mother, watching over the child and I saw her think

“I will protect you.”

I watch the old man sitting in his chair and I see him sob, with a heart that yearns

for all that has passed--

as I watch his young(er) son say

“Look over here, Dad.”

I saw the floppy eared little dog coming up the hill

and the dog said

“Cuddle me.”

I see the food on the plate, and the garden fresh food says

“Eat me! I am a gift.

Let’s celebrate!”

I see the soft spoken gray haired women standing still,

dressed in gray

leaning hard against her cane, quiet--

yet, she is telling all those who will listen

“Slow down.”

I see the clothes, washing themselves today

and saying

“Smile, it suits you.”

I see the ivory keys, white, in sharp contrast to the dimness of the morning light

and they arrest me saying

“See me.”

And C through E chime in, saying

“You need to pay us a visit.”

I see the baby, with tears streaming down her swollen, red and puffy cheeks--

and I hear the

“Drip, drip,”

as she glides past

riding up high

in the front of

a shopping cart,

cold metal--

at an hour unlikely

and I see

the mother’s absent-minded stare also blank,

as she tries hard to maintain her state of

oblivion;

fingering the clothes, and I hear her empty sighing

as she lingers in the aisle--

and all the while

I hear

the screaming cry

of the young little baby, as it demands to be heard,

saying

“Mother, mother, let me lay my head down…and

put me to bed. I need my rest— now,

this instant. ”

I see the big black truck menacing me and my car bumper says

“Watch out! This is not a stable person.”

I see the mist laying itself completely over the top of the trees and it says

“Come now and play.”

I see the heat streaming in curves and rising

up off of the pavement—hot, hot

and it says

“S-s-s-s-summer.”