Pareidolia
The world is full of faces,
And especially at night –
In the most mundane of places,
They are popping into sight.
They mean no harm, I quickly wise,
But not before a scare –
All it takes is two dots for the eyes,
And out they stare.
It’s stupid, though, it’s stupid,
And it’s evolution, I expect –
To keep me safe from non-existent phantoms
That my nerves project.
My over-active, pattern-seeking brain
Is wanting to protect –
And here it goes again,
In its pure inventiveness,
As it fashions features out of tree-trunks –
Just in case, I guess.
I know it’s all a trick
Much like those pictures upside down –
A face emerges slick
And makes a gasp out of a frown.
Though most the time, I always find,
It’s just a chance alignment –
All it takes is two dots, then my mind
Provides refinement.
It’s stupid, though, it’s stupid,
And it’s psychologic, I expect –
To root out ghosts in random architecture,
Till my nerves are wrecked.
My overworking, trigger-happy brain
Is so sure it’s correct –
And here it goes again,
With its scatter-shooting strafe,
As it ferrets faces out of shadows –
Just to keep me safe.
Rhyming Couplets 