Saw

Vivian blinked, breathed. But
She did not see.
Not what everyone else saw,
at least.
She saw the heartbeat, the essence.
They saw the clothes, the shoes, the hair, the face.
She could feel the person, feel their life.
They could only know the person on the outside.
The person that was showing only what they wanted to show.

Vivian blinked, breathed. But
She did not see.
She did not see what was inside of her.
She did not see what was.
Things she saw in others she couldn't
Understand:
Cunning thoughts
Manipulation
Lies
She did not know them in herself
She did not know them in him
She did not know them in them.

Vivian blinked, breathed. But
She could see.
The slight movements that predicated a jump
The intake of breath before a sentence
The shiver as two hands touched
It was all there.
She could see, feel.
The earth emitted a tremor
The air buzzed
And Vivian saw it all.

--P.A.