"Reflecting", Jana Quahe Rae
CW: Death
Our hearts, our lives, behave as mirrors;
to know thyself becomes much clearer
when glassy eyes gaze through the other
and bare our souls’ reflections.
But all alone, I find it lovely
within my mind of stone – a safety
of secrecy with which to hide me
from being deemed as ugly.
And yet our lives are not our own
for we are bound to others; known
from womb to tomb – my head of stone
is only one of billions.
So though it takes a hundred years,
perhaps I’ll learn to fight my fears,
that by each crime, each kindness nears
a future where I gladly see
me in you and you in me.
Author’s Note: Inspired by and incorporating a quote from the movie Cloud Atlas, as well as lyrics from “lovely” by billie eilish and Khalid.