"Behind the Glass" by Sierra July

Behind the Glass

Sierra July

She first wore glasses to see

The beauty she'd been missing

Grass blades, tree leaves, winkles

In the waving sea

Then fashion was the dream

Looking like she knew that pie

Was for more than eating

Cute if she didn't

Poet's Notes: As a glasses wearer and a person who knows a lot of glasses wearers, I wanted to put some of what I've felt and heard about them into words. I personally like my glasses for all they allow me to see, but wouldn't have been upset if I never needed them. Since I do need though, I've discovered other perks. I've grown to love that glasses are stylish, looking either smart or cute, and don't get scratched or broken as often as contact lenses, or need as much cleaning. This is an ode to the bit of freedom my glasses allow me and is my first attempt at humorous poetry.

Editor’s Note:  The first stanza, a nice modern quatrain in the tradition of Emily Dickinson, describes exactly what happens when one puts on glasses for the first time (or at least what I felt when I put on my glasses for the first time).  The second stanza builds on that feeling, owning the new look no matter how others view the glasses wearer.  I admit that my mathy wife had to explain Sierra’s clever pun on “pie” (pie to eat, pie to be eaten, or pi the Greek letter, or pi the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter), so do not feel too bad if you were scratching your head over that until reading this.