Could This Be Me?
I looked into the mirror,
And I shrank from what I saw,
A shadow of my former self,
I gaped at "her" in awe.
It was not her appearance,
Though she looked the worse for wear,
It was the lack of something
That appeared no longer there.
A sadness had enveloped her,
Where once her smile had shone,
A loss of hope behind her eyes …
Her spark and glimmer gone.
Who was this person gazing back?
I thought I knew her well …
She was my alter-ego,
Now I stared at her, compelled.
I blamed her for the problems
That had found me over time,
My loss of will, the endless tears,
The mountains I had climbed.
She offered no resistance,
Explanations did not come …
She simply mimicked all I did,
A thought that struck me numb.
Could she be me? Could I be her?
I waved my hand about …
She waved right back in perfect time,
'Twas "me", without a doubt.
I leaned in t'ward the looking glass,
And grimaced as "she" bent ...
A parody of all I was,
Of all that I had meant.
I "am" this poor disheveled mess,
I "am" this spoof I see …
I "am" this inept imitation
Staring back at me.
My image blended then and there,
My world became undone,
Now all "she" was and all "I" am,
Are wrapped up into one.
I have nowhere to place the blame,
I cannot run and hide,
For all along, the fault was mine …
'Twas to "myself" I lied.