The Eyes of Valentine, by Anita Nahal

Photograph of the author, translated virtually into pencil line art.

The Eyes of Valentine
 
Eyes are generally wise. Lived eons flying on ancient prayers. Lived with you. In you. With me. In me. And outside like old sages. Their knotted pignut hickory walking sticks snoring on their side, knowing more than sages do. The curve, the slant, the paint brushes the eyes hold. The shivers that smolder in cold winter icy winds. The red air that quivers like in loos* of deep summer India. Or could be anywhere. Clasping of hands. The hands of the eyes that feel. Feel the stance. The slight bent at the corner of the eye’s hips. The pimples are bursting carbonations of purple. The purple turns into my hair dancing wild with sea horses on the beach. Goldfishes lay in pink heart shapes singing and fins play on piano keys hanging from the fishes’ backs, the hooks stainless steel polished. The sky is cool, not bothered. I am bothered when my eyes look into yours and you turn your head away. I can hear the sky cringing as your head walks away on two empty legs. But I fly out to the ocean calm, collected and in a plethora of blues, greys and satin peach hues. The sky joins me, with a hunched back full of secrets of humans.

Anita Nahal

*hot winds

Anita Nahal, Ph.D., CDP is a poet, professor, short story writer, flash fictionist, and children’s writer. She teaches at the University of the District of Columbia, Washington D.C. Besides academic publications, her creative books include, two volumes of poetry, a collection of flash fictions, four children’s books and three edited anthologies. Her third book of poetry is scheduled for release in December 2021 by Kelsay Books. Her poems and stories can be found in national and international journals in the US, Uk, Asia and Australia. Nahal’s poems are also housed at Stanford University’s Digital Humanities initiative, and she is also a columnist and guest contributing editor for New York based Aaduna. Two books of Nahal's are prescribed on university syllabus at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. Nahal is the daughter of Indian novelist and professor, Late Dr. Chaman Nahal, and educationist  mother, Late Dr. Sudarshna Nahal. Originally from New Delhi, India, Anita Nahal resides in the US. Her family include her son, daughter-in-law and their golden doodle. For more on Anita: https://anitanahal.wixsite.com/anitanahal