God's Eyes (Poetry For Peter Lik & Photo Junkies) Audio/Text

For all substackers that are photographers--professional or amateur--that love getting the "perfect" shot...

God's Eyes (for Peter Lik)

It may have been the seagulls laughing at the tourists

or maybe the hotdog stand

where I knew Satikchi wanted to eat

after passing up all the sit-down restaurants on the wharf.

It might have been the eye-candy poster shop

with two women in their underwear

gently kissing in their bed (a San Francisco manifesto),

or the fudge shop across from where

the bad comedian/juggler

dropped his props in a stiff bay breeze.

No matter, I was ready.

Now I don't do advertisements

but I can't count the times I've wasted words

trying to show people the Earth,

driven to convince them that she makes worthwhile

all this pain and suffering.

His photographs relieved me

of that burden forever,

making such lovers of light and color

that the earth is permanently revealed

as being pregnant with beauty.

And as we flounder to understand what seems a

dull reality,

desperately wondering

where the rainbow touches us,

his sorcerer hands

offer the proofs to shatter

every brittle cynic's shell.

The myth of ugly explodes in

blue of mountain mist, purple flower blankets,

clouds of water, red sun-sand twins,

and green growing chlorophyll...

If God has eyes,

seeing these,

He/She must be smiling.