You could imagine the optometrist's surprise when he scheduled himself a double appointment.
“So let me get this straight…”
Fortunately, he has perfect 40/40 vision. He can see what he’s seeing as he is seeing it.
He won’t be needing any glasses for his eyes, No thank you ma’am, Nor glasses for his eyes’ eyes, Nor glasses for his eyes so that he can see through the glasses for his eyes’ eyes.
This man’s name is Jebediah Gerber (not the one from baby food) And he loves his family deeply. But they are all in prison because snitches get stitches. And Gerbers will always settle the score.
An eye for an eye If you will.
Jebediah has a plan and it’s a big secret. But eyes are the window to the soul
And that means looking at him is buying a round trip ticket To Guantanamo Bay.
Well yes, his plan does get messy, but it’s not like He means to cause any harm... to most people.
Jebediah’s always been fond of utilitarianism.
Now he’s exceeded all of his self-set standards. All supplies, in his backpack--not including any baby food.
Feast your eyes on that.
He plans to follow the general rules of thumb while he hitchhikes
All the way up To get an eagle eyed view, an eye in the sky.
From up there he spots a mushroom broad and wide Alternating rings of red and white
Jebidiah blows a kiss and it lands dead center. Bulls-eye, starting a chain reaction The spores are shaken loose by the impact,
they glide On updrafts and cold fronts right up to the inside Of Kansas Correctional Facility
Catching the scent on the breeze, Mordecai, Brother of Jebidiah Gerber, starts to grin, wry Pulling his shirt up over his nose
“I spy,” he sighs, “a glimpse of the outside And a free ride outta here”
In the hall, inmates drop like flies
In swoops Jebediah, the guards in a daze. He pries open the cell door while the warden faints. But good thing he got his vision checked because just in time
He sees a double fist inches from his eyes’ eyes
Jebidiah flinches and yelps in surprise
Apparently the number of cell was bad intel--the fist isn’t Mordecai’s
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Jebediah Gerber,”
the voice is snide from under an old sock, “I thought I got rid of you lot,”
(and here murder’s implied)
Jebediah sneers, recalling how he cried when the police dragged his family away
But now his eyes’ eyes dried, he delves into his backpack He finds knives, But bypasses them, reaching deeper, he encounters a mental disguise he had crafted all those years spent biding his time
“Alphonso, How’d you like to break out with me and my brother? Just an honest deal, one betrayed man to another” “
Well alright,” laughs Alphonso, “Let's just call it water under the bridge, an eye for an eye is no way to live”
he claps him on the back and Jebediah suppresses a shudder, their eyes’ eyes locked onto each other.
The two make their way to the cell that is Mordecai's, each one suspicious the alliance will destabilize.
Mordecai’s surprise at the sight of his brother and enemy is engulfed by his desire to be free
So they leave the prison together, all three
The Gerbers and Alphonso, who'd've thought it ( I guess, me )
A place to spend the night, new clothes, a meal, a shower
Jebediah only brought a bit of food, for two to devour
Weakened by the spores and the day’s intensity, the three are in pursuit of a location for tenancy
The Third Eye Motel has a gimmick
Or at least a monopoly on this stretch of road
A desk clerk with a prophecy
Who, luckily for them, doesn’t trust the news
With these cracks to slip through they’d leave glowing 5 star reviews.
That night, the Gerbers in beds and Alfonso on the floor They face the reality- they’re on the run and poor
They dream of Alaska and wide open plains
Empty of blame Freedom and loneliness are one and the same.
Anyone could see it-- you don’t have to be wise
You don’t even need your vision checked For your eyes, or eyes’ eyes. Now he’s not sneaky, but eyes can spy So if Jebediah happened to notice something awry
A loose hand, sticky-fingered where it ought not to have lingered
It might be nothing out of the ordinary.
It might be nothing, but Jeb was quite wary
So he flopped over to find a man out of his mind
Alphonso, very red-handed, guilt defined.
He hollered, “Good lord! Wake up Mord, it’s time this alliance disbanded!”
“Hold your horses!” Alphonso exclaimed “I’ve got a knife here and you ain’t got a blade
It’s high time you gave me some respect!”
Jeb cried, “you owe me, last time I checked”
The two of them fought til blood sat on the floor And they heard a thump from outside their door
A woman with a cart stacked high with paper towels
Chased the lads outside with withering scowls
In the midst of all this Jebediah's hazy brain sought to analyze
Where had his brother gone? They didn’t have alibis
He needed to improvise
“Have you seen a guy who looks kinda like me? About this tall— eh 6’3?”
“You’d better skip town with all of your racket! I helped that asshole and I’d like to retract it”
Jebediah looked into her eyes with his eyes’ eyes and was able to surmise
He’d be twice as likely to get insight
With a few lies
“My brother, Mordecai, (an honest start) he’s sick, we shouldn’t be apart!
He soon will die, and thanks to Alphonso here, our medicine’s supply has run dry”
“You got medicine?” Her eyes squinted
“We woulda if this man’s head weren’t dinted.
Mord needs stuff to keep his head on straight so findin’ you must’ve been a stroke of fate”
“Sounds like you’re desperate,” the woman grinned, well I know where your “Mordecai’s” been.
I’ll even inform ya if you pay for his sins”
