it always catches you off guard
that first full look into the face, into the eyes,
when you finally see their color up close
and realize they are not blue, but brown.
and then comes a sunny day, and,
seated side by side, talking of that and this,
you notice they are not really brown at all,
but the color of evening sunlight
streaming down into a quiet forest of pines.
you never forget after that, always trying
to catch a glimpse of gold and green;
terrified to surprise the secret you’ve seen.
