To the Man in the Mirror

I thought I was everything I ever wanted until I went ahead and dated myself. I was wrong.

You were the man in the mirror.

You had my smile

And the same auspicious glint in your eyes

That shined above your strife.

You had my humor

And so we often talked for hours on end

But when together we also took merriment in silence.

You had my mindset

And I loved watching your eyes light up when I let my sardonism slip

Because the world, albeit big, is a lonely one and we are creatures in need of understanding.

You had my ego, my confidence, my bold, brash, Bostonian personality,

You had everything I thought I wanted

For you are me and there is nobody in this world I love more than myself.

You were my reflection

And that was our quandary

For you were there when I stood before the glass

But when I leave, you too are gone.

You didn't share my life,

The one thing I needed you to share.

And so I stopped looking for you, my ephemeral projection,

And instead I now seek the man in my shadow,

The one who will be here for me so long as there is still light in the world.

Author's Note

Please comment and let me know what you think!

Reviews

[Agyani]

This is just a delightful poem that not only made me smile but made me cringe with irony as well, and that's something I feel all writers want to do with their work. Good job!
I'm not sure what's better here, your presentation of the ideas or the ideas themselves. It's all so neat and finished.
I don't usually read poetry because I often find myself scratching my head trying to get my head around them, but then there are some which speak and make me feel. I'm glad I found another place for such poems. :)

P.S. - The last line of the poem was AMAZING. There were so many words and phrases which made me smile but the ending was just amazing. Keep writing here at the Cafe!

[emptyinkwell]

Thank you so much! I'm glad my work is being understood and appreciated. :D

[Betty Hermelee]

I'm wondering to whom are you talking? yourself?, the mysterious person in the mirror? the words flow beautifully and it is a well -crafted poem. I loved it.

[Coyote Poetry]

The reflection in the mirror can become a stranger. I liked the logic and the thoughts in your words. Thank you for sharing the excellent poetry. I liked this one.
Coyote

[emptyinkwell]

Thanks for reading and reviewing, Coyote!

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome. I enjoyed this poem.

[Nolo Segundo]

Intriguing, especially like the last stanza. Have long realized my greatest enemy is the guy I see in the mirror --though he is getting old now, and has settled down a good bit, I still have to keep my eye on the b*****d!

[emptyinkwell]

I lost the guy in the mirror a while ago. Gone to the other side for good. Kind of glad because sometimes I felt like I was getting sucked into that mirror - that I was losing sight of myself. Thanks for the review! Hope your mirror man is doing well!

[VALORMORE DE PLUME]

I do like this piece. Introspection can be unsettling, when we look past our ego. I love the ending perspective. An enjoyable portrayal of self realization.

[emptyinkwell]

Thanks for the review! I agree, self realization is a difficult, but necessary, process.

[VALORMORE DE PLUME]

We are in agreement.