I.C. Differently

by Gloria Charles

I am so very happy that I still can see
much of the beauty that surrounds me.

The sky is so blue with fluffy clouds afloat
and down on the lake is a red sailboat.

The grass is so green,
the trees and foliage supreme.

Although I am still able to see,
I do see things differently.

The frames on my windows seem to be bent;
and I wonder where the straight pieces went.

The rails on my balcony have suddenly curved
like a car out of control that has suddenly swerved.

One bright summer day a car glided by
and suddenly disappeared before my very eyes.

The “fog” appeared to swallow the car
and kept it inside like a genie in a jar.

To depend on my eyes is no longer wise.
I believe that they may be telling me lies.

Friends may wonder how I can see a pin on the floor
but be unable to find my glasses on the table any more.

I can no longer see your face.
In its place is a blank space.

A room will be filled with human creatures,
but none of them have facial features.

Friends are hard to recognize
until they begin to verbalize.

I thank you, thank you for saying hi!
For saying “hi” as I appear to pass you by.

And oh! How I miss getting behind the wheel
of my faithful, friendly automobile.

Not reading, of course, is the hardest to date.
Be it bills letters or labels - for help I must wait.

I wonder, I wonder what that number could be.
Is that first digit a 2 or a 5 or maybe a 3?

At the grocers, you cannot tell
if this is the brand you like so well.

What do the cans contain?
It can be quite a guessing game.

I turn and twist my head aside
and try to open my eyes very wide.

I loop up and down, left and right
trying to get the price in sight.

But where I focus the fog rolls in and the words hide.
To see at all, I must sneak a peek from the side.

When I write, the page appears to be blank,
as if you have invisible ink in the tank.

Even though I live alone
voices come forth from the tv and phone.

Also a machine chorus can be heard
as my calculator, clock and computer get in a word.

As I approach the end of this tale,
I thank you for being there for me without fail.