Not to look but to see

To help organise the world

Through blinkered eyes we look.

Not shapes or textures or tones,

Just a wall, a pavement, a brook.

More than a house,

Looking closer still.

A door, a window, a window sill.

More detail, for sure. Yet still just names and labels.

Four legs we notice, those chairs and tables.

What will it take for me to open my eyes?

See what is in front of me,

Allow a surprise.

Can I let go of making everything sit

In categories, organized knowledge, a pre-arranged fit.

I'm actually wondering, I'm curious, me.

What is it like, not to look but to see?

By Peter Morgan, March 2014 

Photo by Bronnie Thompson