Once, her eyes were alight,

dancing like mellow torch beams

searching for a whistler in the dark.

Eyes melting, her kindness tingled,

mingling the warmth of toasted hands

with the cradling of hot-cupped drinks

steaming adrift with warmth.

Eyes kindling, she smiled soft secrets,

aglow of red-remembered embers sharing winks.

She looked about her and watched with calm grace.

But ultimately, intimately,

her eyes shone, twin beacons gleaning the crowd

gathered for this:

her special shining.

 

Once, she had glanced away, 

to a place a time ago,

where empty sockets stared back,

unblinking in the stark dark. 

After moments, spent-spluttered candles burnt out,

gutted beyond limp-flamed, licked exhaustion.

But her son looked on, afire,

rockets cascading to his childhood,

her eyes still sparking

a blue-lit tinder touch of flaring flame.

But ultimately, intimately,

her eyes shone on, glowing through the gloom,

flowing through this:

the light and line of recognition.