The First Thing You Notice

The first thing you notice is her eyes
Eyes that dance with mischief
Twin pools of infinite trust in all things
A child’s eyes
Chocolate brown warmth
Filled with innocent, wild joy
The first thing you notice

Is her eyes
The eyes that once shone with laughter
Still they pretend cheerfulness
But you can see
Something new
Terrible flecks of ebony pain
Blackened sparks of anger
And spite
A loss of innocence
Is reflected in those eyes
The first thing you notice

Is her eyes
Green with pale triumph
Seductive
Powerful
The eyes that tore a father from his child
The eyes that turned warm, chocolate faith
To cold, ebony reality
A woman’s eyes
The first thing you notice

Is his eyes
Startling blue
Like the October sky
Revealing eyes, treacherous eyes
They give away much
Too much
Pain
Anger
Terrible sadness
All are seen in those betraying eyes
Even in laughter
They show cynicism
Behind the smiling, beautiful blueness
Lies the knowledge
That joy is but temporary
And mirth, shorter still
All will end
Sooner or later
The first thing you notice

Is his eyes
Indignant
Troubled
The eyes that were the subject
Of such cynical mirth
They took away the pain
In the October sky
If only because they showed pain themselves
And with the loss of dignity
Comes the giving of such temporary happiness
At another’s expense
Who is at fault?
The first thing you notice

Is your eyes
As you look in the mirror
The shadows of wretchedness
Though they fade now
Are still there for you to see
Memories are in those eyes
Memories of dark times
They narrow and close in disdain
Those times are over
It is time for your hazel eyes to shine with laughter
Time for you to show yourself
The first thing you notice

Is their eyes