The Mirror Never Lies

Free Verse

Vinicius “amnx” Amano, via Unsplash

The mirror never lies,
it tells me that I am
running out of time,
it tells me how I am seen
by those who pass me by —
it tells the truth
by simply showing
what I am now,
even if I believe
that it isn’t really me.

But who is the true self,
the one I see before me,
or the one within —
the one that lingers
beneath the surface,
unvalued and unseen?

I find comfort
in reflecting from
the inside out,
but never from
the outside in.

I still cannot tell
which one I am
supposed to be.

I still do not know
how to be me.

The waters of my soul
reflect the various selves
that I wish to be,
while the mirror
shows me exactly
what I am
unwilling to see —
the outer shell
that supersedes
everything that lies
within me.