Side by side
Your blue pupil meets mine,
Black as the still night,
Seemingly orderly and peaceful
But hiding secrets inside the obscurity.
Your blue shines a deceptive light;
Making the waters appear more shallow
Then they actually are,
Transparent as if you were an open book,
Nothing to hide.

But, my discerning onyx iris
Sees the furrows and rings marring the blue,
Giving testimony to the tumultuous nature
Those blue crystalline waters carry.

Convenient for me,
Detrimental to you,
My furrows and rings are heavily hidden
Beneath the concentrated pigment of the ink that
Outlined and filled my pupils.
I can see your scars,
But for you to see mine, you have to look closer
Dig deep.
Synchronizing time with sunlight,
So you can find the appropriate hour,
For the sun's rays to hit my irises just right
To catch a glimpse of the contours hidden Underneath.

Ink and water, an age-old mixture that has
Coated the artists and poet's brushes
To paint strokes of art and sublime beauty
Gliding elegantly on a blank piece of paper.

Gaze deeply, and you will find the reason why you
Are alive.
Just like I found in your blue, warmth to make My cold nights livable.

© Elsbeth Mareile G.C.