Melba Christie at Poemattic

“Then love knew it was called love.
And when I lifted my eyes to your name,
suddenly your heart showed me my way” -Pablo Neruda

I am convinced that looking into a person’s eyes can lead you to interpretation of someone’s sadness, joy, confusion, depression, and even sanity. Lately, I have trying to capture the essence emotions when I photograph someone. My beautiful baby granddaughter has captivating eyes. I love to watch her look into her mother’s eyes. Her curiosity is astounding for a five month old infant. She examines her surroundings and then will look at you at if to ask what is this or where am I.

Of course, I am not original in my fascination with eyes and what they can reveal. Many photographers try to capture the essence of their subjects’ eyes. I will follow suit by taking photographs of people’s eyes in the next few weeks. If you have a photograph that you would like to share please post it on your blog with a tag or #Eyes are Poems.

The following is a poem I wrote many years ago as I watched my students taking a standarizied test which they had to pass as a graduation requirement.

EYES

Some bright and alert

Some showing delight

Most saddened

too tired to fight

Some inquisitive

Some barely interested

Some totally frustrated

Many questons

fewer answers

loaded questions

ambiguity intensive

questions no one asked them before

And I was expected to ask them even more

Their eyes said it all

their torment clear

I watch and learn

they taught me more

about how

tests cause true fear.

Melba Christie 2001

“The soul, fortunately, has an interpreter – often an unconscious but still a faithful interpreter – in the eye.” Charlotte Brontë