Ode to My Eyes

Oh, my eyes,
You have been the quiet witnesses of my journey.
You have seen the storms of betrayal,
the weight of rejection,
and the sharp edges of words that tried to break me.

You have also seen my daughters’ faces,
their laughter, their innocence,
and the beauty of souls untainted by society’s harsh gaze.
Through you, I have watched them grow,
and through you, I remind them — and myself —
that true beauty lives deeper than skin.

My eyes,
You have reflected back in mirrors,
sometimes with judgment, sometimes with shame,
shrinking under the comparisons
of a world that prized appearance over essence.
Yet you never stopped seeking the light.
Even in my darkest nights,
you searched for hope,
and you found it.

You are not just windows to my soul,
you are guardians of truth.
You hold my pain, yes,
but you also hold my strength,
my resilience,
my unwavering love.

Oh, my eyes,
I honour you.
I thank you for seeing what needed to be seen,
for crying the tears I could no longer hold inside,
for softening now as I look at myself with kindness.
You remind me every day
that beauty is not in being looked at,
but in how we choose to see.