The Gaze of the Other ~ Tuesday, June 3, 2025

We pass each other without a word said
each time the unspoken builds friendly fire

pay attention to your neighbors, they dream
as you dream, the less said, best left unsaid
say hello, good morning to those you trust
shade thrown, condescension, as you aspire

ephemeral beliefs melt like ice cream
anise-flavored, licorice vanilla
chocolate and strawberry, she says, lick rust
humble bumble bee, Wisconsin honey

old men with long beards cannot understand
talk is cheap, actions speak louder, money
hollars burn the dollars, they wait to stand
echos in the valley, a gorilla
remembers the jungle, but here, mountains

windows to another world, metaphors
inside a Chinese box, matryoshka
trouble figuring out how to make stains
how to create stigmata, dot-to-dot
obscene language games, we tally the scores
understand, men with long beards, babushka
transform reality against the grain

accents spoken in whispers, voices caught

winsome smiles beguile and enchant with charm
organize the troops to march double time
recall you said nothing, hear no alarm
decline to speak, no one talks about crime

say nothing, no one knows you are insane
again and again, against the bed frame
insist they lock you up inside the maze
decline to speak, condescending, you gaze