SOMETHING WAS UP. A fine, soft mold had formed, colourless and clear. It thrived on surfaces beyond my reach. Another notion: someone had lightly greased the world with viscous, transparent stuff. Every edge was just a little bit thick with it. When I approached it, it retreated and settled on neighbouring objects, again ones I could not touch. Too mobile, then, for a fungal growth, and too dry for goo, since it left no residue. Unlike a fog, it travelled with me. Often, it left the distance and came up close, depositing its film on my cornea, a mucus that nothing washed away.

By fall, every moment of seeing had this consistency. Probably it was not new. I had just missed the beginning. Rather than the onset itself, I recall an eye exam in November. The optometrist’s assistant divided my sight in two, testing one eye, then the other. My chin rested on a cradle behind a mask of rotating lenses. The row of letters on the opposite wall grew more or less sharp as she adjusted the settings. I reported the results. Now better, now worse. Through separation, she discovered my asymmetry before I did: The muted atmosphere in the distance lifted when my right eye was covered; it condensed into a cloud when it was the only eye exposed.

Afterward, I played with switching eyes, comparing sides, as my pupils slowly dilated. It was the second stage of the exam. A pleated lampshade held dim light down low on a table in the waiting room. Beside me, a father read his son the story of an eyepatch. The eye it covered was normal; the patch didn’t serve it. It was worn to make the uncovered eye work harder. Are hands industrious because we’ve left them so often unclothed? Is exposure a means of their training? I covered one eye to keep my brain from combining it with the other. Numbness set in from the drops, proving that eyes are something you otherwise feel. Non-sensation felt like something too: eyelids impressed me with their subtle mass. My eyes wore them as a second skin, of bulky material, symmetrical hoods to hide their bare heads. Or to partly reveal them. A dress will sometimes fall from the shoulders until it catches in a place that is wider than its opening. Like unclosing your eyes to see who’s saying your name. I was escorted to another room. The optometrist guided a light through my widened apertures.

***

Frames seemed designed to measure someone else’s dimensions. They implied a void whose contours described all of the heads that could fill them. Most of these heads were larger than mine. Worn by me, many frames became cartoonish, however serious or playful their shape. It was powerful, my ability to caricature their boldness and self-assurance, even their modesty. Displayed on their own in sparkling glass cases, all eyes with their slender arms folded expectantly, they had the attractive remoteness of sheer ideas: Practical, intellectual, unassuming, offbeat, voluptuous. The question was how my proportions intercepted the transmission of these signals. Wrong size and the attributes of these objects clearly had nothing to do with me. Wearing them looked like an overt attempt to give myself their personality.

Apart from fit, there was the business of having to adjust to a new face. I thought I might avoid this by selecting clear frames, as though it would lessen the impact. This choice was offset by their roundness and thickness, which made them neither inconspicuous nor immaterial. I saw them plainly. In fact, I found them beautiful. If anything, they blurred my features as opaque frames could not have done, with their distinguishing outline. Perhaps I liked seeing the frames without seeing myself enhanced by them. It kept me intact.

When my glasses were ready, I left the store with them on my face and continued down the street. They did their job; the distance lost its former texture. But the abrupt distinctness emptied my surroundings of their depth. It was all equally close: the strangers who passed me, the sidewalk, the creases on the leaves. My steps narrowed to avoid collision. I tried to project the nonchalance of someone who doesn’t remember what she has on. It was a lie, my acting like I wore glasses, like I did this all the time. The evidence weighed on my nose, bore down on the tops of my ears. Really wearing them meant not feeling their touch, letting them vanish, whereas I couldn’t shake the impression that having them on my head was the main event. I saw clearly, yes, but it was them I looked at. The frames stayed within my field of vision, exceedingly near but always just ahead of me, so that I was constantly pursuing them. Like the frames, the lenses were of clear plastic, a few millimetres thick. They accumulated oil and miniscule debris. If I entered a warm cafe in winter, I saw them instantly shrouded in steam. I had the sense then that what covered my eyes concealed all of me, as when, during hide and seek, a child obscures only her face. The feeling was not diminished by wiping away the dampness. I lived behind a transparent barrier.

***

The left lens was a fake. It obstructed my good eye for the sake of the one that needed correction. Contacts had an advantage over this situation, which was that I could wear just one. At the fitting, the doctor measured my curvature and brought out the closest match. He taught me how to put it on it. Hands washed and dried. Lens on fingertip. Check for rips and eyelashes. Tug lids open. Look into mirror during approach. Press harder. To remove, pinch between thumb and index finger. It won’t scratch you. Rub to dislodge buildup. Bathe in solution overnight.

The lens was membranous and slick. I had thought them all rigid, like the ones in my glasses. It adhered weightlessly to my cornea, extending past it into the white. Light passed through it into further strata of tissue, refracting as it should. Up close, there must have been a gap between its concavity and my outermost layer. Nearsighted though I was, I could not see the numbers I knew were written on its surface. Nor could I feel the delicate sheet of plastic itself, which water permeated as it would an amphibious skin. My eye was accustomed to an aqueous environment. The moisture of the lens felt just like nothing, like an eye untouched. What garment, in fact, touched me less? How would I remember to take it off?

Susan Morrow is a doctoral candidate in German at Yale. 

A LONG DRESS.

What is the current that makes machinery, that makes it crackle, what is the current that presents a long line and a necessary waist. What is this current.
What is the wind, what is it.
Where is the serene length, it is there and a dark place is not a dark place, only a white and red are black, only a yellow and green are blue, a pink is scarlet, a bow is every colour. A line distinguishes it. A line just distinguishes it.

A RED HAT.

A dark grey, a very dark grey, a quite dark grey is monstrous ordinarily, it is so monstrous because there is no red in it. If red is in everything it is not necessary. Is that not an argument for any use of it and even so is there any place that is better, is there any place that has so much stretched out.

A BLUE COAT.

A blue coat is guided guided away, guided and guided away, that is the particular colour that is used for that length and not any width not even more than a shadow.

A PIANO.

If the speed is open, if the colour is careless, if the selection of a strong scent is not awkward, if the button holder is held by all the waving colour and there is no colour, not any colour. If there is no dirt in a pin and there can be none scarcely, if there is not then the place is the same as up standing.
This is no dark custom and it even is not acted in any such a way that a restraint is not spread. That is spread, it shuts and it lifts and awkwardly not awkwardly the centre is in standing.

A CHAIR.

A widow in a wise veil and more garments shows that shadows are even. It addresses no more, it shadows the stage and learning. A regular arrangement, the severest and the most preserved is that which has the arrangement not more than always authorised.
A suitable establishment, well housed, practical, patient and staring, a suitable bedding, very suitable and not more particularly than complaining, anything suitable is so necessary.
A fact is that when the direction is just like that, no more, longer, sudden and at the same time not any sofa, the main action is that without a blaming there is no custody.
Practice measurement, practice the sign that means that really means a necessary betrayal, in showing that there is wearing.
Hope, what is a spectacle, a spectacle is the resemblance between the circular side place and nothing else, nothing else.
To choose it is ended, it is actual and more than that it has it certainly has the same treat, and a seat all that is practiced and more easily much more easily ordinarily.
Pick a barn, a whole barn, and bend more slender accents than have ever been necessary, shine in the darkness necessarily. Actually not aching, actually not aching, a stubborn bloom is so artificial and even more than that, it is a spectacle, it is a binding accident, it is animosity and accentuation.
If the chance to dirty diminishing is necessary, if it is why is there no complexion, why is there no rubbing, why is there no special protection.

A FRIGHTFUL RELEASE.

A bag which was left and not only taken but turned away was not found. The place was shown to be very like the last time. A piece was not exchanged, not a bit of it, a piece was left over. The rest was mismanaged.

A PURSE.

A purse was not green, it was not straw colour, it was hardly seen and it had a use a long use and the chain, the chain was never missing, it was not misplaced, it showed that it was open, that is all that it showed.

A MOUNTED UMBRELLA.

What was the use of not leaving it there where it would hang what was the use if there was no chance of ever seeing it come there and show that it was handsome and right in the way it showed it. The lesson is to learn that it does show it, that it shows it and that nothing, that there is nothing, that there is no more to do about it and just so much more is there plenty of reason for making an exchange.

A CLOTH.

Enough cloth is plenty and more, more is almost enough for that and besides if there is no more spreading is there plenty of room for it. Any occasion shows the best way.

MORE.

An elegant use of foliage and grace and a little piece of white cloth and oil.
Wondering so winningly in several kinds of oceans is the reason that makes red so regular and enthusiastic. The reason that there is more snips are the same shining very coloured rid of no round colour.

A NEW CUP AND SAUCER.

Enthusiastically hurting a clouded yellow bud and saucer, enthusiastically so is the bite in the ribbon.

OBJECTS.

Within, within the cut and slender joint alone, with sudden equals and no more than three, two in the centre make two one side.
If the elbow is long and it is filled so then the best example is all together.
The kind of show is made by squeezing.

EYE GLASSES.

A colour in shaving, a saloon is well placed in the centre of an alley.

CUTLET.

A blind agitation is manly and uttermost.

CARELESS WATER.

No cup is broken in more places and mended, that is to say a plate is broken and mending does do that it shows that culture is Japanese. It shows the whole element of angels and orders. It does more to choosing and it does more to that ministering counting. It does, it does change in more water.
Supposing a single piece is a hair supposing more of them are orderly, does that show that strength, does that show that joint, does that show that balloon famously. Does it.

A PAPER.

A courteous occasion makes a paper show no such occasion and this makes readiness and eyesight and likeness and a stool.

A DRAWING.

The meaning of this is entirely and best to say the mark, best to say it best to show sudden places, best to make bitter, best to make the length tall and nothing broader, anything between the half.

WATER RAINING.

Water astonishing and difficult altogether makes a meadow and a stroke.

COLD CLIMATE.

A season in yellow sold extra strings makes lying places.

MALACHITE.

The sudden spoon is the same in no size. The sudden spoon is the wound in the decision.

AN UMBRELLA.

Colouring high means that the strange reason is in front not more in front behind. Not more in front in peace of the dot.

A PETTICOAT.

A light white, a disgrace, an ink spot, a rosy charm.

A WAIST.

A star glide, a single frantic sullenness, a single financial grass greediness.
Object that is in wood. Hold the pine, hold the dark, hold in the rush, make the bottom.
A piece of crystal. A change, in a change that is remarkable there is no reason to say that there was a time.
A woollen object gilded. A country climb is the best disgrace, a couple of practices any of them in order is so left.

A TIME TO EAT.

A pleasant simple habitual and tyrannical and authorised and educated and resumed and articulate separation. This is not tardy.

A LITTLE BIT OF A TUMBLER.

A shining indication of yellow consists in there having been more of the same colour than could have been expected when all four were bought. This was the hope which made the six and seven have no use for any more places and this necessarily spread into nothing. Spread into nothing.

A FIRE.

What was the use of a whole time to send and not send if there was to be the kind of thing that made that come in. A letter was nicely sent.

A HANDKERCHIEF.

A winning of all the blessings, a sample not a sample because there is no worry.

RED ROSES.

A cool red rose and a pink cut pink, a collapse and a sold hole, a little less hot.

IN BETWEEN.

In between a place and candy is a narrow foot-path that shows more mounting than anything, so much really that a calling meaning a bolster measured a whole thing with that. A virgin a whole virgin is judged made and so between curves and outlines and real seasons and more out glasses and a perfectly unprecedented arrangement between old ladies and mild colds there is no satin wood shining.

COLORED HATS.

Coloured hats are necessary to show that curls are worn by an addition of blank spaces, this makes the difference between single lines and broad stomachs, the least thing is lightening, the least thing means a little flower and a big delay a big delay that makes more nurses than little women really little women. So clean is a light that nearly all of it shows pearls and little ways. A large hat is tall and me and all custard whole.

A FEATHER.

A feather is trimmed, it is trimmed by the light and the bug and the post, it is trimmed by little leaning and by all sorts of mounted reserves and loud volumes. It is surely cohesive.

A BROWN.

A brown which is not liquid not more so is relaxed and yet there is a change, a news is pressing.

A LITTLE CALLED PAULINE.

A little called anything shows shudders.
Come and say what prints all day. A whole few watermelon. There is no pope.
No cut in pennies and little dressing and choose wide soles and little spats really little spices.
A little lace makes boils. This is not true.
Gracious of gracious and a stamp a blue green white bow a blue green lean, lean on the top.
If it is absurd then it is leadish and nearly set in where there is a tight head.
A peaceful life to arise her, noon and moon and moon. A letter a cold sleeve a blanket a shaving house and nearly the best and regular window.
Nearer in fairy sea, nearer and farther, show white has lime in sight, show a stitch of ten. Count, count more so that thicker and thicker is leaning.
I hope she has her cow. Bidding a wedding, widening received treading, little leading mention nothing.
Cough out cough out in the leather and really feather it is not for.
Please could, please could, jam it not plus more sit in when.

A SOUND.

Elephant beaten with candy and little pops and chews all bolts and reckless reckless rats, this is this.

A TABLE.

A table means does it not my dear it means a whole steadiness. Is it likely that a change.
A table means more than a glass even a looking glass is tall. A table means necessary places and a revision a revision of a little thing it means it does mean that there has been a stand, a stand where it did shake.

SHOES.

To be a wall with a damper a stream of pounding way and nearly enough choice makes a steady midnight. It is pus.
A shallow hole rose on red, a shallow hole in and in this makes ale less. It shows shine.

A DOG.

A little monkey goes like a donkey that means to say that means to say that more sighs last goes. Leave with it. A little monkey goes like a donkey.

A WHITE HUNTER.

A white hunter is nearly crazy.

A LEAVE.

In the middle of a tiny spot and nearly bare there is a nice thing to say that wrist is leading. Wrist is leading.

SUPPOSE AN EYES.

Suppose it is within a gate which open is open at the hour of closing summer that is to say it is so.
All the seats are needing blackening. A white dress is in sign. A soldier a real soldier has a worn lace a worn lace of different sizes that is to say if he can read, if he can read he is a size to show shutting up twenty-four.
Go red go red, laugh white.
Suppose a collapse in rubbed purr, in rubbed purr get.
Little sales ladies little sales ladies little saddles of mutton.
Little sales of leather and such beautiful beautiful, beautiful beautiful.

A SHAWL.

A shawl is a hat and hurt and a red balloon and an under coat and a sizer a sizer of talks.
A shawl is a wedding, a piece of wax a little build. A shawl.
Pick a ticket, pick it in strange steps and with hollows. There is hollow hollow belt, a belt is a shawl.
A plate that has a little bobble, all of them, any so.
Please a round it is ticket.
It was a mistake to state that a laugh and a lip and a laid climb and a depot and a cultivator and little choosing is a point it.

BOOK.

Book was there, it was there. Book was there. Stop it, stop it, it was a cleaner, a wet cleaner and it was not where it was wet, it was not high, it was directly placed back, not back again, back it was returned, it was needless, it put a bank, a bank when, a bank care.
Suppose a man a realistic expression of resolute reliability suggests pleasing itself white all white and no head does that mean soap. It does not so. It means kind wavers and little chance to beside beside rest. A plain.
Suppose ear rings, that is one way to breed, breed that. Oh chance to say, oh nice old pole. Next best and nearest a pillar. Chest not valuable, be papered.
Cover up cover up the two with a little piece of string and hope rose and green, green.
Please a plate, put a match to the seam and really then really then, really then it is a remark that joins many many lead games. It is a sister and sister and a flower and a flower and a dog and a coloured sky a sky coloured grey and nearly that nearly that let.

PEELED PENCIL, CHOKE.

Rub her coke.

IT WAS BLACK, BLACK TOOK.

Black ink best wheel bale brown.
Excellent not a hull house, not a pea soup, no bill no care, no precise no past pearl pearl goat.

THIS IS THE DRESS, AIDER.

Aider, why aider why whow, whow stop touch, aider whow, aider stop the muncher, muncher munchers.
A jack in kill her, a jack in, makes a meadowed king, makes a to let.

All images by Ishiuchi Miyako from the publication Frida (2013), taken of a collection of Frida Kahlo’s intimate possessions that was discovered in 2004, unopened since the artist’s death in 1954.

Gertrude Stein’s Tender Buttons was written and published in 1914 by Claire Marie, New York.