Incarcerated since 1997
Earliest release date: 2069
l KNOW A MAN WHOSE LIFE IS SWELL AND GRAND, KNOWN FOR HIS GOOD CHARACTER THROUGHOUT THE LAND.
HE’S HANDSOME, BROAD-SHOULDERED AND FIT, HIS ONLY PHYSICAL FLAW IS THAT HIS EYE SUFFERS A TWITCH.
A MISERLY PERSON HE IS NOT, MOM & DAD SLEEP ON FEATHERS WHILE HE SLEEPS ON A COT. HE’S A DUTIFUL SON SEEN IN AMAZEMENT, HE LOVES FATHER FONDLY, BUT MOTHER IS HIS FAVORITE. MOTHER IS KIND & GENTLE, YET STERN AND WISE, BEAUTIFUL DESPITE THE FACT SHE’S MISSING HER LEFT EYE. IN FACT MOTHER’S ABSOLUTE FAVORITE THING TO DO… HOLD HER SON LETTING HIM KNOW “I’VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU.” THEY TALK, LAUGH, AND SHARE WELL INTO THE NIGHT, MOTHER FALLS ASLEEP…SON TUCKS HER IN NICE AND TIGHT. COME MORNING THERE ARE MORE TALKS AND LAUGHS, ALL THE ADORATIONS A FAMILY COULD HAVE. FATHER IS QUIET AS EVER, AND SON REMAINS MOTHER’S WORLD, BUT THE ONE THING THAT CAN MUCK IT ALL UP… SON FINALLY MEETS A GIRL. AND HE COURTS HER AND SPORTS HER MUCH THESE PASSING DAYS, LITTLE BY LITTLE MOTHER AND SON ARE LOSING THEIR LAUGHING WAYS. BUT THAT DOESN’T STOP MOTHER FROM DOING WHAT SHE HAS TO DO, ALL THE WHILE REMINDING HER SON, “I’VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU.” DAYS LOSE THE BATTLE OF TIME TO WEEKS AND WEEKS LOSE TO MONTHS, AFTER WEDDING BANDS AND WEDDING BELLS, CHILDREN ARE SURE TO COME. MOTHER IS NOW GRANDMOTHER DOING WHAT SHE HAS TO DO, STILL REMINDING HER SON, “I’VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU.” ONE DAY, THE CHILDREN BEGAN SHOUTING A DREADFUL SHOUT, THEIR MOTHER BUSTLED DOWN THE STAIRS TO SEE WHAT THE SHOUTING’S ABOUT. SHE FOUND HER CHILDREN POINTING TRAPPED WITHIN THEIR CRIES, SHAKEN TO THEIR CORES BECAUSE GRANDMA’S MISSING AN EYE. THE MOTHER TELLS HER HUSBAND, “I FEARED THIS WAS SO, TELL YOUR MOTHER SHE’S NO LONGER WELCOME, IT’S TIME FOR HER TO GO.” SON LOOKS AT MOTHER, AND MOTHER COULD PLAINLY SEE… HER SON WAS IN AGREEMENT THAT IT WAS TIME FOR HER TO LEAVE. MOTHER SAYS, “SON, I KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, JUST REMEMBER I’M YOUR MOTHER AND I’VE GOT MY EYE. ON YOU.” AGAIN THE DAYS LOSE THE BATTLE OF TIME TO THE WEEKS, MOTHER AND SON ARE ON THE OUTS, THE TWO BARELY SPEAK. THEN ONE DAY THERE COMES A POUNDING AT SON’S DOOR, IT’S FATHER SAYING, “BOY DON’T MAKE ME POUND THIS DOOR ONCE MORE!” SON ADMITS HIS FATHER, AND FATHER FEIGNS AS IF HE’D HIT, BUT HE KEEPS HIS CALM, MAINTAINS HIS RESERVE AND TELLS HIS SON, “SIT… WHAT IS THIS I’VE HEARD COMING FROM YOUR MOTHER’S MOUTH? YOUR CHILDREN FEAR HER MISSING EYE SO YOU THROW HER FROM YOUR HOUSE? I HAVE TO TELL SOMETHING ABOUT THE NIGHT YOU WERE BORN, TO PROTECT THIS SECRET I WAS DULY SWORN. THE NIGHT YOUR MOTHER BORE YOU, MY HEART BEGAN TO CRY, MY SOUL TREMBLED AT ITS CORE BECAUSE YOU WERE BORN WITH JUST ONE EYE! YOUR MOTHER GRABBED MY HAND AND TOLD ME THINGS WOULD BE FINE, THEN SHE GRABBED THE DOCTOR AND STERNLY SAID, ‘PLEASE GIVE HIM MINE.’ SO THE DOCTOR OBEYED UNTIL HIS VERY LAST STITCH, WHY ELSE DO YOU THINK THAT EYE OF YOURS ALWAYS HAS A TWITCH? YOUR MOTHER GAVE YOU HALF OF HER VISION, AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO? WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE MEANT EVERY TIME SHE SAID, ‘I’VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU?’ WE’RE PARENTS, SON… WE’LL MAKE MISTAKES, IT’S NOT THE TALL THINGS, RATHER THE SMALL THINGS WE DO THAT MAKE US GREAT. SO FIX THIS, YOUR WIFE AND CHILDREN WILL TRUST WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO… IF YOU TEACH THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR MOTHER’S EYE ON YOU.”
Ray Hamzah Franklin
DOC #313966 / 860075B
