On the Curious Paradox of Being Seen

(from Within My Illusions)

Contradiction
It’s curious I feel
the simultaneous desire to be seen
and the fear of being
visible.

Impermanence
I am constantly changing. 
Even now as you turn your gaze
and your eyes meet mine,
I will shift in ways both
imperceptible and 
profound.

Complexity
I am as vast as the ocean,
as intricate as the shore.
I can spread my wings to envelope the Earth
and burrow into depths 
you didn’t even know 
existed.

Judgment
You may admire too much
the charming iridescence of a seashell,
and forget that the other side
is pointed and rough. Or worse,
you might be tempted to regard
one side as superior.

Reflection
You can only see me though your self.
And in looking back at you,
I must see my own likeness.
I thus become like the illusion
created by parallel mirrors,
receding into 
infinity.

Truth
I will disappoint you.
We will disappoint each other.
So could we abandon expectations,
Let them fall by the wayside
like psychic road kill?
Who knows–we just might
surprise one another.