Howdy...
Well even in the most tenderest moment with Ennis just holding Jack, you could say their eyes were closed... so this topic is intriguing.
Here are some lines from Annie Proulx' short story that may be relevant:
What Jack remembered and craved in a way he could neither help nor
understand was the time that distant summer on Brokeback when Ennis had
come up behind him and pulled him close, the silent embrace satisfying
some shared and sexless hunger.
They had stood that way for a long time in front of the fire, its burning
tossing ruddy chunks of light, the shadow of their bodies a single column
against the rock. The minutes ticked by from the round watch in Ennis's
pocket, from the sticks in the fire settling into coals. Stars bit through the
wavy heat layers above the fire. Ennis's breath came slow and quiet, he
hummed, rocked a little in the sparklight, and Jack leaned against the steady
heartbeat, the vibrations of the humming like faint electricity and, standing,
he fell into sleep that was not sleep but something else drowsy and tranced
Whenever I think Jack would have his eyes closed... I would think that he would want to be transported right back there... to that sleep that is not sleep. To me, both Jack and Ennis are experiencing this sleep that is not sleep, so Ennis probably wants the same elusive experience.
What strikes me as satisfying is that I can only feel that this describes the peace of true love and that it was "sexless". To me this scene was a most sacred scene, one where Jack and Ennis, two lowly uneducated roughnecks were sharing the gift of love... true love. How can we ever blame them for not wanting to be deprived of such a universally beautiful experience.... and if all they have to do is close their eyes and think of each other right there... then good for them!!
Peace,
Frank
