deepundergroundpoetry.com

Sight and Feel

I wear glasses every day.
Like my mother,
my eyesight is poor;
nearsighted astigmatism.

The glasses of a teacher
The contacts of a judoka
The bifocals of a writer
Tinted lenses of a gamer

There are roles I play
that require clear sight,
be it words on a screen or
an expression across the room.

But sometimes what we see
gets in the way of the truth
since our eyes can't see
the depth of a soul.

I leave my eyesight on the table
and adjust to the blurs
a blind man taught me
there's more that can't be seen.

I step into the ring -
assess the blur of my opponent.
How far? Depth perception debuff.
But it doesn't matter.

I'm not seeing,
I can't always trust my eyes,
and I can't see hers,
yet I know where she is.

Sensei would tell you its
the scuff of a foot on the mat,
soft sounds of their gi shifting...
but he never said what else.

The truth is, we Feel.

Like the pull of the moon
on the ocean's waves,
as geese know their way,
and meteors crash to earth,

we Feel.

She steps to my right,
telegraphing her direction.
She grabs me, I step left,
trip her foot, and twist.

She's on the ground, I
flow into an armbar,
easy to hold for 20 seconds.
All from a motion, in peripheral.

Groundwork gives you time
to stare at the ceiling
and wonder how you got here.
Was it worth the fuss?

Tilt my hip, her elbow strains, then
two taps on my leg -
a tap out.
I help her up - it's gg.

I never saw her face
but I remember
how she felt
in the dance of judo.

If you're wondering
what a soul feels like
and you're not sure
what to look for

go to find the quiet.
Disconnect from your ties,
leave concrete behind and
reintroduce your feet to the soil.

In the dead of night
away from city lights
stare into the milky way
maybe you'll Feel too.
Written by skg373 (Cera)
Published
Author's Note
One of my judo instructors was a blind man. It was through martial arts that I first learned how to feel, in place of sight. One day I'll return to the mat, but those lessons went far beyond fighting.
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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