The same smileless face. The same tattered boots. The same shaky hands, delicately pulling on a not-so-special pair of black sock. All in an all too familiar reflection. Stare at him. Stare long and hard. He is no stranger, you think you know him very well. Every scar, every blemish, the lackluster eyes, the yellowing teeth, the unkempt hair, stare. As you blink, recreate the image in your mind, just for a split second. X-Ray imagine you can see the neurons firing. Ride nerves on a highway called memory, do this as you stare at him. His two rings, both quite expensive, both very plain. They mean a lot to him. Remember the necklace she made him. Remember the CDs she gave him. Remember her hand he held. Stare. Amplify the wrinkles in his forehead. Justify his emotionless stature. Hope you are the only one who sees him this way. Stare. The same wide nose. The same closed lips, not pursed, not relaxed. The same chicken legs. The same muscular arms. Inhale deep and watch his chest expand, exhale and watch it fall. Stare. Don't for one second, feel sorry for him. Just stare. Infrared imagine the heat created by his body. Stare. Color code him brown and black. Stare. Pick the dirt from under his fingernails. Don his white t-shirt. Slip into his black jeans. Stare. He swallows, you better watch his throat undulate. He itches, don't miss him scratch. Stare. Gaze absently at this real time video via mirror image. Focus your pupils. You know him very well. Notice the throbbing of the veins in his neck, that's his strong heart beating. Don't give up on him just yet, just stare, and know he'll get you through this.
