The Eyes Have It
This is quite possibly a familial complaint, maybe even something reaching far into our genetic memories, so if you are a writerly friend who is about to be offended by my pet-peeves, let me apologize now and plead that this is nothing personal.
At my house, reading aloud is a tradition. My Dad used to read to us before we slept from 101 Bedtime Stories, followed by the prayer that included the phrase, “If I Should Die Before I Wake.” A phrase that has haunted me all the way into a book I’ve written called If I Should Die. I’ve read to both of my kids and they read back to me and they will read to their families long after my eyes grow dim. But, let’s go back to the topic of those pesky eyes.
Eyes do some incredible things, especially in fiction. I’ve read about eyes falling upon, dropping, dragging, darting, skimming, rolling up and back, fluttering, blinking, and closing. Eyes pop, glow, screw up, screw up to the sun, squint, and are pressed upon by darkness.
What else can eyes do? Recently, eyes have been dragged down a menu, been glued to things, spotted, and been nailed. Some of these eye actions have been perpetrated by other eyes. Eyes are often caught or catch depending on the point of view.
Then of course we have the apple of my eye, the red eye, the rheumy eye, bloodshot eyes, dry eyes and watering eyes. They cry, they twitch, they are blackened and baggy. They cross, they drift and they twitch.
Then eyes have corners. They have sties, cataracts and diabetic complications. Eyes can be heavy and heavy lidded. Lost in swollen faces.
Eyes are the window to the soul. Just look them in the eye. Don’t fire till you see the whites of their eyes. I only have eyes for you.
I hope my musings on eye catching narrative do not ruin whatever book you are reading. I hope no one is seriously giving me the evil eye for alerting their future readers to the eye antics. I’ll be back soon with yet another topic or story and you can bet I’ll be telling it big. If you have an eye issue I have not included, leave a comment.
I just remembered we have eye teeth. Okay, I’m done.