Sunday 3 February 2019

Eyes by Chuma Nwokolo

[Metamorphosis 2 - Angie Phillip as Aja Gap]
Eyes
(Inspired by Metamorphosis 2, a painting by Angie Phillip)

you stare astounded at my own astonished eyes.
for once, at last, we see.
soon, to feuds and warring clans,
may come this antidote more radical than guns,
more mind-blowing than drugs,
more harrowing,
truly more harrowing - and
yet

nothing more drastic than truly to see the enemy
and his blood; simply to look unblinkingly -
not through our usual black-and-white filters -
but to stare astounded. to stare, and stare until
the truth of sight becomes a mirror to our soul.
until we feel the mettle of his blues,
read his face’s panoply of hues,
his draining pools of dreams, and the
running
streaks of tears and rust…

so that when his blood
comes spurting redly at our thrust
we cannot look
away. no. and we will own his pain as
well

©Chuma Nwokolo, Jr. (2008)

Wanted to share this poem that Chuma wrote more than 10 years ago. Hope you (whoever you are out there) like it, too. Also - wanted to try this feature on my blog that I've not tried before where I can share the post to Twitter. Let's see if it works.....


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