Creature

A Poem by Nervana Zahran

Mirror mirror on the wall
Who’s the bravest of them all
Mirror mirror, look at me
The image you reflect is not what they see

Mirror mirror on the wall
Blind them with my shiny crown
Let the fissures be my own
As I flaunt my perfectly white gown

They don’t have to know about
The trip to hell to take those blood stains out

Mirror mirror,
Conceal the horror
Protect my veil
The scars want to scream a tale
Quite down, it’s not the time
I hate that you wait to see me fail
But an injured warrior will still prevail

Mirror mirror
Speak your truth
But they don’t have to know
You’re a master at civil wars
They don’t care about
Your loss and unspoken tragedies
They can’t even imagine
The wildfires that start from within

Mirror mirror,
I’ll tell you about my nightmares
I’ll show all my fears
But I don’t think they’re ready to see
How your dress was made of dirt and tears