Her Beautiful Eyes...

Looking at her you would never guess the complexities that swirl behind her eyes and her nerdy glasses…well; they only serve to accent those very eyes. Those beautiful eyes, which upon first glance appear light brown, but if you know what’s good for you, you’ll take another look. Those beautiful eyes that dance the color wheel and make my soul take flight. Depending on her mood their colors can change while always remaining consistent in their design. Some days they are heavy with a fair amount of burnt orange with small flicks of light green and streaks of gold with a backdrop of light brown…like wheat. Other days they drip with honey, inlaid with bamboo stalks of green and sunbursts of yellow and light orange. If the light hits her eyes just right you can see the peaks and valleys in the fibrous tissue that make up her amazing iris, you can see the lakes that create the most intricate shadows and freckles but you don’t always need the light to see. Those beautiful eyes, beyond description…I’m blessed to say, dance for me.


So I sit here looking at her from across the room…me in my chair, she in my bed. Those beautiful eyes intently reading the screen she holds and then she realizes I’m looking at her, tilts her head slightly, smiles that smile that melts me and says, “what?” Her voice so smooth and full of love, I feel my heart warm. I slightly shake my head and say, “nothing” and turn my gaze back to the TV. What a contrast between her and what flashes on the monitor I glance to. A cage in the shape of an octagon, two men each bloodied by the other, punching, jabbing, kicking at their opponent in the hope of dominating the man across from them…the one they view as their foe. I look down at my computer screen, reading friends status updates and various posts about this, that, and the other. I get a reminder buzz on my phone of the derby bout I am helping to officiate tomorrow night…that of course I totally forgot about. I seem to be forgetting about everything these days. Whether it be old age or stress or a little of both, I hate it. Then suddenly a burst of warmth spreads through my body, starting with the very muscle that gives me life…my heart beats slightly faster as I remember that my girlfriend is not only in my room with me, but laying in my bed.

I can close my eyes and still see her…hair tussled, nerdy glasses on, a super soft, light blue Superman shirt and grey sweats on. I open my eyes and turn my head to look at her, our eyes meet and I smile innocently as I realize she was watching me. I quietly inquire, “baby how’s your knee doing?” Under the covers I see the shape of her legs and she flexes her knee saying, “it’s doing okay.” I think to myself, derby is a harsh mistress, rather I suppose one could view it more like a quarter…two different sides that make up one thing. It provides community, love, support, athleticism, responsibility, team work, problem solving and brings people together that otherwise would never have crossed paths. But at the same time derby provides fodder for gossip mongers’, an almost sinister level of competition, drama by the ton, and plenty of chances to injure yourself. So my dear girlfriend was forced to relent to my alter ego ‘doctor deb’ and now she lays in my bed with pain patches strategically placed around her knee covered with a brace, pillow underneath for support. I even kissed her sexy, injured knee to try and make it feel better. If love was a cure, she would be healed.

The time we have together is few and far between, so when I finished my shower the TV was silenced, the laptop put away, the alarm clock on the phone activated and I crawled under the covers to cuddle with the most beautiful woman in the world, with skin like velvet, smelling of warmth and safety. She pulled me close, my head on her chest…one of my most favorite places to be. Her breathing slow and steady I could hear, her heart humming along as if dancing to its own private beat. I’ve always hated steady sounds (like clocks) but there’s just something about listening to her heart beat that calms me, centers me and grounds me. I close my eyes, cuddle in closer and I can hear a quiet moan of contentment go through her as she grips me tighter. I can think of nowhere else in the world I would rather be right now than in her arms. Accepted. Loved. Cherished. Protected.