Looking like some interstellar image from deep space
Seeing the scans of my retinas illuminated on the screen
As my aging eyes are examined for emerging defects
Dilated pupils to let the light shine inside my eyes.
My left eye has a large dark spot in the center
That floats around mostly unseen as I look past it
Because clear vision is a construct of my brain
That has learned to fill in what the eye omits.
It has been that way for 12 years now
Not getting any worse thank goodness
And so far there’s no sign of cataracts
More good news making me a lucky one.
On this day as I sit with eyes wide open
Feeling blind being unable to see inside my head
Needing the optometrist to tell me what is there
The thought of losing my eyesight troubles me.
Being able to see is so important so necessary
I do not want to think about living with failing eyes
Such a long list of essential things I could not do
Contending with a diminished prospect.
But even with my eyes shut I can see some things
Traveling easily through a kind of inner space
As long as my brain keeps functioning
Assembling a vision of the world for me.
