I looked at myself for long moments
tried to catch surprise glimpses
of my image that did not disappoint.
Tried to capture those magic qualities
that you see when you look at me.
The enchanted details beneath
the lost of my elasticity
and the lipstick stains hidden by the sun
on unexpected parts of me.
I stole glances
as though they weren't premeditated.
Found only that I could not manufacture
a beauty my eyes refused to see.
Found skin discolored
with regrettable personality flaws.
Found eyes darkened
with an inability to swim in shallow waters.
Found lips downturned
with a tendency to self-destruct.
I looked at myself for so long
that I came to know things I'd never seen.
Mirrored freckles perfectly aligned.
The shape of a cello.
Impossible softness
and incurable darkness.
The damage of a lifetime
reflected in an unfiltered conclusion.
You made an introduction before you left
and I can no longer pretend invisibility.

© Averil Sperry