the green iris, eye of the soul
by mary madden*

iris, green iris, hologram, pupil, frog pond, ice, mirror, emerald, vagina, cervix, moss, algae, starburst, tunnel, doorway, kiwi, core, rind, lime, sunglasses.

The green iris tells the story of the body,
as do the hands and the soles of the feet.
The hole in the center is absolute vulnerability.
Your soul shows through.
I believe that’s why I have such a difficult time
talking to someone wearing sunglasses—
they’ve got a barricade around the self.
My words are reflected back to me.
As we walk barefoot, do we leave pieces
of our stories for others
to pick up or walk over?
Do our hands leave histories
on steering wheels and doorknobs?
Does every stranger on the street glance through
into the stories of our souls?
Is that why we look away so quickly?
If my world were colored in green,
I’d feel so healthy—as I do
when I walk in woods and hear
the breeze sing,“See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me...”

*This poem was submitted posthumously by Peggy Millin in appreciation and memory of Mary—mother, artist, and writer. Mary composed this poem on the fifth of September, 2002, in Peggy's class. "The Green Iris" was a response to an assignment for that class, in which Mary chose to describe a polished green stone. Mary died three months later. "I’d sent Mary the stone after the class," reflects Peggy. "She’d jokingly said, 'You can give this to me for Christmas.' I knew there might not be another Christmas for her. Apparently, the stone’s gift and the stone itself, meant a lot to her in the months she had left." WNC-Woman is grateful for this beautiful piece, and the care with which it was submitted.