Poem for a Mirror

author’s note:

Opening the eyes is a lifetime job.


POEM FOR A MIRROR

Looking back
I can see how I’ve repeated
the sorry history of the human race:
I can see

how I have been a slave to fear.

As have you.
But

I can see how you struggle
to untangle those chains.

Though you often seem stuck
you never lose your ferocity--
you obey your higher will.

Sometimes I see
how you mirror me
and then I realize
my own strength:

we want to do more
than merely survive.

At such times, I may also see
how our true desire
mirrors the true desire
of the whole human race

and then I feel hope
for our flawed species.

Common Courage: poetry ebook
you tube channel
© 2022, Michael R. Patton