Antonia Alexandra Klimenko: Let Me Magnify You

                         I’ve come from a family of tears

                                                     —Salvatore Ala

Seen under a microscope

they so often resemble

trails left by meteors

the lunar surface of dreams

the intricate lacework of saints

(who–I like to imagine–

blinded by their own handkerchiefs

could no longer judge the perfection

of their devotion)

No matter the emotional landscape—

be it joy, fear, pain, sorrow—

this human tide of feeling will rise

and fall     as surely as breath

Where is this flow

emerging from?

returning to? —

its mysterious source.

leaving behind   only

its invisible fingerprints

One by one

they disappear as they appear—

beyond our scope of vision—

bathed in streams of consciousness

that glisten as they toil

Healing is like that—

will shed its own skin

will find its way back

will seek only healing

Tears bear us up   under

the scrutiny of the small

whose heavy eyelids open

in the presence of grace

—

Copyright 2014 by Antonia Alexandra Klimenko

Published by permission of the author.

This photo series by Rose-Lynn Fisher captures tears of grief, joy, laughter and irritation under the microscope.

Tears aren’t just water. They’re primarily made up of water, salts, antibodies and lysozymes, but the composition depends on the type of tear. There are three main types – basal tears, reflex tears, and weeping tears.