Of Course
“Hey, look, over there.”
“Over where?”
“Where my eyes are looking of course.”
“Of course.”
“What do you see?”
“I see your eyes, looking, of course.”
“Of course. But beyond that, what do you see?”
“I see you. Postulating.”
“Postulating, really? But my lips are without movement, they are clasping one another.”
“It’s not your lips, it’s your gaze. It says, “‘I’m postulating.’”
“Ah, of course.”
“What else do you see?”
“I see endless arrays of freckles, bouncing around, climbing on top of one another, invading your nose, forehead, cheeks, and eyelids. What did those eyelids ever do to those freckles to warrant such an invasion?”
“Well, I don’t sleep much, and freckles need their beauty sleep, as they are beauty marks after all.”
“Of course.”
“Well, what else do you see?”
“Cheekbones, lifting the cheek as if to say, “‘Hi, I am high and mighty.’”
“Ah, yes…overcompensating cheekbones, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Perhaps your gaze is averted, perhaps you aren’t looking at something, but away from something.”
“Hmm, yes perhaps, but what?”
“Could be anything really…but I think you’re looking away from the past.”
“Oh, really? And why would I do that?”
“Well, it’s behind you, and everyone knows how stiff your neck would be if you tried to gaze behind. It’s not even anatomically possible to do so. Humans are meant to look forward. But, owls on the other hand…”
“Oh yes, of course, you give them one tootsie pop commercial and you’ll never hear the end of it with those creatures.”
“So true.”
“If only you could see what I see, rather than looking at me.”
“What do you see?”
“A chicken, crossing the road, just to get to the other side.”
“The audacity!”
“I know!”
“But beyond that, I see endless possibility.”
“Well, that sound exhilarating.”
“It really is.”
“Tell your freckles to take heed, you’ve got places to go and people to see.”
“But, of course.”
“Move ahead and watch out for those audacious road-crossing chickens, but if you do find one of their eggs...”
“Omelet.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Of course.”
