Prosopagnosia Poem by Tor Magnor Solvang

My eyes see faces, clear and bright,
But names and features fade from sight.
A friend walks by, a stranger's stare,
I search my mind, but nothing's there.

A smile can feel like just a curve,
A frown, a line I can't preserve.
The shifting moods, the silent plea,
Remain a mystery to me.

It's not that I don't care or try,
To read the feelings in an eye.
But like a foggy window pane,
The subtle messages remain.

And sometimes, when I miss a clue,
Or don't respond the way you do,
A little flicker, sharp and deep,
Of feeling lost, I try to keep.

To be truly known, to be felt,
Where understanding can be dealt.
That's what I yearn for, day by day,
To be seen, in a simple way.

For those I love, so very near,
Their knowing glances, banish fear.
A gentle touch, a patient word,
Is all the music to be heard.

To know that even when I stray,
And can't recall your face today,
You see the me that lies within,
And let our understanding begin.