LOOK IN THE EYE OF THE GIRL

by Marisa Prado

Girl grew up hearing
That it was no use lying,
Because Mother always knew it

Mother used to say
That she read it on the forehead of the Girl,
And that only Mother
Knew how to read forehead.

Girl tried
To cover her forehead with her hand

when it came the time to lie.

Mother thought it was funny. Very funny.

And kept on reading away

Girl had to understand

how this mistery worked.

On the bathroom mirror,

she lied a lot, in silence.

And in the forehead, nothing written!

Then, Girl found out

that Mother also lied.

And that it was not the forehead

- it was the eye, shining in a different way -

that gave in the lie.

Girl then tried

to close her eyes real tight,

to hide Lie.

But not even that worked,

for Mother always knew.

Girl really had to learn

to pretend with her eyes open

that Lie was True.
Girl tried, tried... and learned it.

That was the way.

But at night

Girl felt tight inside.

A little like out of breath,

not even able to blink.

With her eyes wide open,

She could not bring herself to sleep.

Air did not come to Girl.

Just like when we get

almost unable to breath

from a laugh from a tickle.

But it was not funny.

Girl - unintentionally -

had discovered Conscience,

something that watches over us

even when Mother is not reading forehead,
Nor seeing eye.

Girl had learned

how much pretending hurt.

And that this way

it would really not be funny

to be a grown-up.

Girl gave up on growing up.

But it was no use.

Girl saw that now

she was almost as tall

as the furniture at grandma’s living room.

And she got very sad.

The tight feeling was getting tighter.

And so tight that tight feeling got,

that Girl figured that pretending

could only hurt so much

because she hurt alone.

Girl had an idea,

and she did not know yet
Whether it was a brilliant idea.

But she knew – oh, yes -

that she had to try it,

in order to find it out.

Girl’s idea
Was to tell Mother

that pretending was hard
Girl found it bad
To learn so many things
And do not share them with anyone.

Girl told Mother
That it was really complicated

and that it wasn’t good at all

having to grow up alone.

Mother hugged
Girl really tight.

And, in the arms so longed for,

Girl became Mother’s mom.

Girl felt
That Mother was crying.
And that Mother
Hadn’t learned it all yet.

Mother did not say anything

but both one and the other knew

in that tight hug
That in Mother it also hurt
To be grown-up alone.

At that moment

Girl understood everything.
She found out that only care
makes loneliness go away.

And that when pain is shared,

it hurts a little less.
And that, then,

you even feel

like keeping on growing up

to find out all the rest of the stuff.