NEPHART.COM

When I first held a pair of binoculars
I used to think
what if they had ears

They would listen to distant conversations

I only wanted to use them
to see what she was thinking
watching outside the window
what words she was murmuring
what distressed her
and what gave her profound joy

I would be that secret lover
loving her charming smile and beauty
secretly
as though I would never meet her
never invade her private moments
and just to check on her
if she was okay

I suppose
she was okay and happy

Now technology has entered most households

Binoculars hold a different kind of charm
one that modern technology cannot match

That memory
that moment

The binoculars were something special