My Eyes Hurt

my eyes hurt
they water and they burn
they are sick of seeing the world of pain
the bombs exploding, the hate and the crime, the children disappearing overnight
my eyes hurt
they can’t stop crying
they can’t believe all the horrors they see
towers are crumbling, planes are falling from the sky, and people are jumping to die
my eyes hurt
the world has become blurry and unrecognizable to them
they see the predators around every corner
they aren’t just seeing strangers anymore.
it’s our neighbors, our clergymen, our scouts, our teachers, and our counselors too
i want to sew my eyes shut
so i can’t see the tragedies as they unfold
but the axe has fallen
slicing the wool over my eyes to shreds
this is the world
and seeing is believing