Dear Reflection in the Mirror

12/22/23

Dear reflection in the mirror,

Why didn’t you use your power for good?

Your truth is hidden deep in the back of your psyche,

But I see it written in sharpie across your forehead. 

I hope that one day,

You realize your words hurt,

Not like a stab in the back…

But suffocation.

They hurt everyone,

And destroy the already damaged. 

You saw it as a problem, 

not a symptom. 

I was told to have thicker skin as a child,

What did you expect?

I was in the thick of it already,

But I never heard an “are you ok?”,

Until you became sick of me. 

Believe me, I was sick of myself, too. 

Maybe it's because I was sick, 

and so were you.

Is it because mirrors scare you?

I displayed the perfect picture of what leaves you unsettled,

So you became selective about what you saw.

I became invisible.

Transparent - you could see right through me. 

Let me tell you something,

Putting me in the corner never made me disappear.

But part of me left that day. 

I am sorry I didn’t shrink for you the second time around,

And it made you uncomfortable.

I am sorry I took up space,

That must have made you apprehensive.

I am sorry I kept showing up,

But it is kind of hard to run from something seeking your attention.

Good thing you pushed me away, though. 

Projection will never lead to growth.

Thanks for allowing me to see the brutally bare part of you, 

Because now I can grow…

Without you. 

And maybe,

 one day…

 you will regret hiding me.

Because I am just  a mirror image of you. 

Sincerely,

Me, your reflection.