vandiemenspeak
vandiemenspeak
Nov 24, 2013

View from the lens

Looking rather like
A rotationally challenged pair
Of the reddest veined breasts

I gaze back into my rendered
Retinas, which are healthy
And good, I guess, since childhood

Deigned them only a short
Focal length, shorter than my
Memory of anatomy

As retinas go. Blindingly obvious
The parallels with trees and roots
Or things with roots that see

Faintly tracing back a path
Through blood to something core
And bright as a disk

A moon, perhaps? A shrouded Sun
Lost in the retinue fog, a swirling
Orange mass, a corona ring

Of visions past, flash – illuminated
For a nanosecond in the dark universe
Of the optometrists chair

He, the beholder of my eye
lies, and tells me to thicken
my rims with paper thin hope

I grope through the darkness
for there, somewhere is
bifocal light

About This Poem

Last Few Words: Recently got one of those retinal photographs done as part of an eye test. Ruminated on ageing for a while, and this was the result. Not sure if/how it requires an ending? Anyway, comments welcome.

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Intensity: I appreciate moderate constructive criticism

Editing Stage: Editing - rough draft

About the Author

Region, Country: Tasmania,Australia,Earth,Solar Systems,Milky way,Pint of Guniess, AUS

Favorite Poets: Glen Richards

More from this author

Comments

Ian.T

Ian.T

11 years 5 months ago

I had one of those done a few years ago and they sent for me wanting me to have it done again, as I waited for the results.
They saw what they thought was a black spot on the retina.
It turned out to be on the lens of the camera or what ever they used to take the pic, lol
A very descriptive write and was good, Yours Ian.T.

vandiemenspeak

A concerted effort will be made to use the tools and add revisions etc. Glad you liked the imagery, my optometrist is the absolute spitting image of a younger Phillip Larkin, I swear! Of course that retina is all important for every image isn't it? Glad your 'black spot' was a false alarm! Inspiration for another verse perhaps?

Cheers.

Chris.