Poetry + Black Poets

Life In the Eyes

A prose poem

What makes me smile is seeing life, lived in the eyes, the corners that tell a story — of love, loss, of smiling through unspeakable suffering and gladness. the edge of bleak days, blistering storms crease smiling lips, tighten an embrace — laced in I missed you, or a how you been, and mean it. What makes me smile, are the miles traveled in those eyes tearful goodbyes without a wonder. upturned in joy or pain. how many fingers grip a shy manner in a slight — tilt of the head and nod hello. deep pockets as custodian to unshed tears turned to diamonds. what remains of the lecherous means that stole that smile — in the eyes. swells in crow's feet slay giants, of killjoy with the memories of carefree exploits in a lover’s arms and the time they stood up to the man. and we understand those days, those lives lived in multitudes of gaffaws and baby giggles, belly jiggles after a hearty meal. what makes me smile? the full story could take a while — to tell, as long as the book of life extends my chapters. What makes me smile?

©️KS Hernandez 2021

In response to The Brain is a Noodle Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她)Weekly Short Form Challenge:

I’m tagging Suma Narayan Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles Michael Hall Arturo Dominguez TaLynn Kel and anyone else brave enough to answer. What say you, friends?

Author’s Note: As a survivor of multiple traumas, this is a hard question to answer but this poem is what came up for me.

If you enjoyed this or any of my work, buy me a coffee?