When the Mirror’s the Enemy

A Poem

Image by Alexandr Ivanov from Pixabay

hair like a halo, strands catching gold,
lips caught in the mold of a smile,
skin as unblemished as porcelain —
but you don’t see anything of it, do you?

the monster in your eyes reflects
in a double-image courting perfection
even though you spot every wrinkle
puckered in the trap of stress