Below the surface
where lines from part-parabolas
encounter lines from me
the mirror shows
the me that might have... might still be.
Contours from a nearly-me,
half-familiar gestures
implying other lives
I might have lived
had I been free.
Then other images, like peas
in pods or siblings in a womb,
are thrust from other concave
surfaces
into my face.
They speak of subtle changes,
nudging contours up or down,
of rows of alter egos,
of how a features changes
at a twist in life or light.
13 comments:
Terrific that they are all alive and recognisable !
A credit to you
Great poem. I would have just stared at that strange photo all day!
It is amazing what we can see if we look, REALLY look, in a mirror..or more it this way or that! Image is fluid and changeable.
(Appreciated your comment over at my site!)
I think I'm losing it! (If you get this more than once, feel free to delete.)
I like how you used the words that describe the actual mirror — the parabolas and the concave surface.
Who is to say that who we see in the mirror is who we really are?
Very thought-provoking piece, Dave.
(I'm surprised I remembered all that!)
Images of near-me can well result from a parabolic, concave mirror. It cannot be like any other mirrors. I think so too,Dave! Great write!
Hank
Brilliant. The many selves we could be.. in the blink of an eye...so alluring to be able to shift away from one's supposed stony and same identity.
Like Alice Through The Looking Glass, is this a dream or is it me?
Who are we?
Really?
I reckon real mirrors tell the truth no matter which way you view your image :-).
What an interesting ideat. Seeing who we might have been and the marks that could have left on our appearance... So we would be the same but different. A couple of people who know me well have claimed to have spotted me in Oxford, a town I rarely visit. I am half afraid and half fascinated at the idea that one day I might see this complete stranger who even fools my close relatives...
Kutamun
Hi! A warm welcome to you. Great to have you visiting. Thanks for the kind comment.
Tabor
Yes, I think with prompts like this they either click straight away or the never do.
Mary
Absolutely agree. Thanks for the observation.
Kat
Nope, you hadn't lost it - only received one copy! I have made a few b oobs like that, though, of late. It is worrying when you do!
Thanks for saying.
Hank
Much appreciate your comment. Thanks.
Tommaso
Yes, wouldn't it be great to be able to simply switch into some other character?
Ygraine
Yes, very much like Alice.
We are more than one, I do believe.
Windsmoke
But which truth? They reverse your image, for a start.
Jenny
What an idea to conjure with. My Grandparents were convinced that everyone has a doppleganger somewhere in the world.
I enjoyed this prompt
I love the way that you use shapes as part of the problem or solution for the face in the mirror
amazing poem for an amazing image. You saw a lot in this-brilliant!
Rows of alter egos, indeed. Nice write, Dave.
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