The Pupil

She is caught by the eye in an awkward place.

The child is grabbing her by the eye, making her look.

Children open their eyes immediately. Some animals take months.

* * *

I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.

* * *

All night they look at each other’s eyes. She can see nothing at first, nothing beyond the catch of her own eye.

The child is new, curled so tight she thinks she could wrap him around her wrist.

This is how they spend their first night on earth. To be clear: it is his first night not surrounded by water. It is her first night caught by the eye.

* * *

Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed.

* * *

Later on, they will go about their lives quite separately.

She will work on her papers, he will move one car next to the other.

* * *

The Pupil

Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.

* * *

In the end, they will remember the beginning: the eye grab.

They will hardly speak, but look: the teaching black, the central star.