I see you.
You lurk behind a mask
But your eyes move,
And in those eyes,
I see desire, I see fright
I see self-effacement
And self-aggrandizement.
I see sadness and loss,
And the bluster and dross of
A life lost to reason
And treasonous hopes fled
As hopes always do.
I see excuses and demands
And your parents’ commands hiss
In your ear.
I see you sneer, but your lip
Trembles, and your chin
Unsteady against the onslaught of
Grief and hate within you.
And crouched beneath it all,
I see you — you, with
A face as bright and young
As a new universe.
Why do you hide that face?
Step into the light, friend.
It’s all around you, this glow.
Shed that mask, shed that past,
Let memory flow through
Your bones and flesh,
The memory of when you stood,
And looked at your face
So freshly made, so young,
And smiled, delighting in your
You-ness.
Stand before me, and
Speak, friend.
Blueness surrounds you,
But you can still speak.
Say these words now,
Say them to me:
Mirror, show your face!
Mirror, erase me.
Start me anew.
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