Backward, turn backward,
Oh time in your flight;
Make my eyes young again,
just for tonight.
I am weary of glasses—
I have worn them so long,
I wonder as time passes
Will my eyes— ever be strong?
Time was when I
Could read in dim light;
Now even with glasses
That light must be bright.
It seems like I'm getting
No better so fast—
And glasses to remedy,
Never seem to last.
My eyes were once perfect
As far as I knew—
Then suddenly they failed
Their duty to do.
I had them examined,
And to my surprise—
Glasses were offered
As a panacea for eyes.
Wear the glasses always,
The Doctor said to me:
The correction I have given you
Will relieve the strain, you see.
He said I would get used to them,
And in two years or so—
Come back—you'll need a change of lens;
Eyes do not stay the same, you know.
My first glasses were very mild
And simplex in their power;
I thought they were becoming,
So I wore them through every hour.
They made me so I couldn't see
Without them any more—
And before the said two years had passed
I was in the same boat as before.
A change was made thereafter—
Every one or two years as advised,
And then I began to wonder,
Would there be anything left of my eyes?
By then my lenses were much stronger
By many times of my first—
I could not reason any longer
That my eyes were not going their worst.
They're dim and they're weak,
And they're sick at their best;
Anything but strong,
Or in a state of rest.
Now if good glasses save eyes—
And it is claimed that they do.
I should not be proclaiming
My eye troubles to you.
I've tried glasses—I know,
I wish it were so—
That glasses as a remedy,
Would make eye troubles go.
I plead with you,
With my heart, my soul,
To beware of strong glasses;
Strong eyes should be your goal.
Glasses relieve one—
I'll grant you that—
They give you artificial vision,
And that is a fact.
But you'll rue the day,
You'll look back and see
What your eyes might have been,
If you had listened to me.
Glasses hurt you while they help you,
They tear down, they don't build up;
Glass help is artificial,
So glasses I would duck.
I'd fight along without them,
Forever, if you please—
If my chances I had over
I'd never seek glass ease.
Too many are wearing glasses,
They put them on too soon;
For looks, for sight, for pain and strain,
They wear them night and noon.
I've done my best to tell the rest
That of glasses I would beware;
You'll find it's true, I'm telling you
Glasses will not get you there.