Reflections

Occasionally, I see astonishment in her eyes
After hours in front of the mirror
There’s grief in her face and a wilting in her soul
As if she’s met herself for the very first time
She saddens
Loses the words
She loves that one in the mirror—not herself
I want to go into that world, she says
I want to be where this beauty is
There, left is right
There, wrong is right
There, dawn brings comfort
There, everything is changeless
There, silence ceases screaming
And peace is infinite
Now glued to the mirror, her expression changes
Up close, she finds herself
She finds the loneliness that bent her spine
She sees lines of pain on her face
Sadness defines her being
Pulling away, she again sees just a beautiful reflection
And is content to be back—back where others see her
Not so close