don't luxate: leave

When Allan Ray's eyeball popped out
I did not vomit immediately.

I had to think about
the sinews of his optic nerve
and the muscles that would
twist and turn
focus and blur
to adjust the pupil.

For hours,
I sat quietly
picturing his brown irises
the capillaries contrasted
against the white

imagining my sneeze
building in the back of my head
building back pressure then
flying free through my nose.

A tiny fraction off,
that pressure misses sinuses
my eyeball loosens

then

POP.

Allan Ray is probably a decent kid
but I can not forgive him.
I can not meet the man whose eyes fall out
ever.

The man who stole my delusion
that some things stay in place
for a lifetime.