by Marc Gunn, March 30, 2007

After twenty-five years of wearing glasses, I had LASIK Eye Surgery. It's like being able to see for the first time. It is magical.

I remember free climbing a mountain
    on the North Shore of Oahu.
The rock crumbled as we climbed,
    But turning to look at the ocean,
    To see the long waves strike the island
The danger and the precariousness
    of our exploit vanished from my mind
Until we reached the top
    I looked out across the valley
    and saw...

        Water stains on my glasses.
The rain was too heavy.
I couldn't see a thing.

The dream of seeing that valley
And the nightmare of denial
Has haunted me until this day.

It rained today.
And a simple jaunt down the stairs
    outside my apartment to check the mail
    into the rain opened a new dream for me,
A dream of possibility, of renewal.
It was like seeing rain for the first time.
Water skipped down my head
I squinted to protect my new eyes.
The wind blew water droplets
    over my body.
My shoes soaked through
But through the cascades of brilliance
I SAW for the first time.

I saw a chance to experience rebirth,
To live a new life,
Where the Valley of Opportunity
    is laid before me as
    a clear path to hope.