mirror-scope
always microscoping
in
to the tiniest of details
they insist
on the basis of things
as physical
mind
coming out
of matter
others telescoping
out
to the grandest of mysteries
insist
on the basis of things
as spiritual
matter
coming out
of mind
still others scope a
mirror
asking
what of the eye
behind the lens?
what is doing
the looking?
what of the laughter
when a dog
farts?
or the worry
about being
bad?
what of the concern
when a friend gets
ill?
or the turmoil
about being
mad?
what of the love
that could embrace a
world?
or the anguish
about being
sad?
do they scry
in their viewfinders
the broken triumph
of an ordinary day?
the abject comedy
of a lifetime?
I gaze bewildered
into this mirror-scope
the gaze itself
is miracle enough
(for Stoo)

John William Waterhouse 'The Crystal Ball'
HC: Dec 2022