Anime Girl Eyes

Allison Elizabeth

From women's eyes this doctrine I derive:

Sailor Moon’s eyes take up one third of her face. Full of wonder, taking in every beam of light. The pink light of my heart on the golden hue of your arm, oranges juicing into tears down her cheek. All she can do is watch, and all I will do is bow and exit. 

That show, contain and nourish all the world.

My manager had sailor moon’s eyes tattooed on her right forearm. She told me to watch out, because if I did anything suspicious she would catch me with her extra set of eyes. She got fired for constantly letting stock be stolen and took the key for the gate on her way out. I went to the back and began to check every shoebox for a left and a right. Everything was in order except for one empty box labeled ‘size 8,’ but the ‘8’ had two pupils and eyelashes. I began a staring contest, accepting defeat, not noticing the locksmith’s entrance behind me. 

“When did she leave?”

“Doesn’t matter. She’s always around.”

“You did want new locks, right?”

“One that you can only open with your eyes closed.”

I bought a new pair of sunglasses.  

They sparkle still the right Promethean fire;

Mila is four and never sleeps during naptime. She just fills her cheeks with air and waits for me to pinch them. I find this game uninspiring so I begin a new one. The rules are she gets something of mine and I get something of hers and we pretend that everything is normal despite our 20 year age difference. My sunglasses on her face bring laughter that causes me to get unhappy press from my supervisor, ‘too much play.’ I disagree with the statement; not enough! We have only played one half of the game. She has a cat filled with beans perfect for placing on the tops of-

“Teacher!” She cries, “my cat!” 

“What cat?”

“On your head!”

“I’m pretty sure that’s just my hair.” 

She takes my sunglasses off to make sure her eyes are not deceiving her. I am a liar, spreading misinformation right in front of her. Maybe I thought by darkening the world around her I could steal without any consequences, but oh no no no no no. Even with eyes one tenth the size of her face she not only can see the present, but also the future. One where she cannot be made subject to dishonesty again. We tell children they create the life they want to live, and so she throws the sunglasses onto the floor and stomps to break them in half. 

They are the books, the arts, the academes,

At a play. In a theatre. In the audience. On the stage. I was sitting down and you were walking towards me. Chalk in your hand, you were tracing a line that ended up on my feet. There were other people tracing lines too, but none I wanted to watch while they did it. When the tip of your chalk met the tip of my sailor moon shoes we finally looked each other in the eyes. As if we had been the whole time, we inhaled, and exhaled in unison. The lights fade to black. 

“Thank you, next.” 

When I leave I will not come back, but you return here again and retrace the line. 

How many women have you looked in the eye like this?

That show, contain, and nourish all the world.

I arrive at your apartment early enough to walk past a girl with my same color eyes exiting in my direction. You are already at your door. You begin to tell me a second part of a story I am unfamiliar with. I ask for clarity. You look at my feet. 

“Were you drawing today?

“No, why?”

“There is chalk on her eyes.”

I lick my thumb and let sailor moon see again. 

“Thanks, she should watch this”

I take my shoes off and head up the stairs to your room. 

She watches me go.