POETRY
Eyes
They see the beginning through till the end
First time I opened my eyes
I saw the silhouette of a face
And a smile so shining and wide
It was the face of my mother
Today, I see my daughter
Playing in the playground
Smiling, jumping, and dancing about
She has the face of my wife
Between then and now
More than thirty-two years have passed
My eyes have seen a lot
And some things I wish they had not
Words in a book, that would transport me to another land
Video games that would make me feel invincible
School plays where I would first experience theatre
Debates where I would first become an orator
My eyes saw kindness and sadness
They saw helplessness and hopelessness
They saw beggars longing for comfort on a cold night
They saw street children chasing random kites
They lit up when elders would bring out gifts
They moistened seeing movies with emotional scenes
They have seen and made note of cars I’d like to buy
They have seen highways along which I’d like to drive
They have seen beauty in flowers and rain and nature
They have scrolled the internet for sinful content
They have seen grand idols in temples mosques, and churches
They have closed in respect, asking for forgiveness and blessings
They have seen a man wince in pain
They have seen fresh blood as skin cuts under a blade
They have seen the magnificence of the human body inside
They have seen the ugliness of cancer spreading on all sides
They have seen tears in my parents' eyes — of pride as well as hurt
They have themselves shed tears so many times — some sad and some with grace
My eyes have seen tears stream down my wife’s face
As she delivered our baby girl
They have seen those tiny fingers… And big eyes
That beautiful face and those cute dimples
They have seen her cry when hurt
And also the anger on her face when she throws a tantrum
My eyes have seen the world it seems
Yet, there is so much more still to see
My eyes, they have been a blessing
When I close them, they play me my life’s recording
The mole on my wife’s lip that I fell for
The dress she wears awaits for me to admire
The way she decorates the house
The way she dresses up our baby doll
There’s a lot I’d like to unsee
A lot I’d willingly forget
But I can’t, because that’s not how it is
What the eyes see, the mind always keeps
My eyes have seen so much
With just one-third of my life gone by
But I still have to see
All those places I am yet to be
I am still to see
My daughter grow up and be
The angel I know she will be
And the proud parents that she shall see
My eyes want to see
What I make myself to be
The dreams and aspirations I have
My eyes want to see them become
My eyes would like to see my parents at peace
After a life of hard work and effort
They raised us two boys in good faith
I’d like for them to see their efforts pay
What would I do without my eyes
That is why I admire them immensely
Those born without, or whom fate chooses to rob of sight
They live still and carry on with might
A little less colorful perhaps, but life holds much more value
For they know what they miss
But you? You take those eyes for granted at times
Seeing pain, hurt, deceit, and cries
Please choose instead, to create moments where
Your eyes see what the mind wants to forget never
So that when old and wrinkled and less alive
You can close them, and think of good times
Like the first sight of your mother’s face
And the first time you saw your child
Or the last time you saw a smile
And the last time you saw the sunrise
Look for the good, I pray
Transform the bad, I say
For your eyes are a gift to the world around
Use them wisely, in your time on this ground
This poem — the idea came to me as I saw my daughter play today. I realised how quickly time shall pass, and tomorrow she would be all grown up. I take my eyes and my sense of vision so much for granted — I wince my eyes as my wife opens the drapes on a fresh sunday morning, for I wish to sleep late; only to forget the beauty of sunlight. The first time I met my wife and told her how I absolutely adore the mole on her upper lip, she smiled saying she never cared much for it. The few times in a year I see my parents (as my surgical residency is in a different city), I realise how much I miss them. The patients I see, I literally cannot without using my eyes. And yet, my eyes have come across, both willingly and unwillingly, things that I would gladly forget, but cannot.
As I write this post right now, I sense how much of a gift my eyes have been, and how much of a gift they can be to the world around me. I hope you realise this too.
Thank you for reading.
