The Person in the Mirror

I killed the person in the mirror. I didn't mean to, but I did.

I knew he was a man, for he had a body like mine
And he wore a mask, a silicone mask that made him look like someone I knew
I though he was irritating, for he mimicked me!
He frowned when I frowned, smiled when I smiled, spoke when I spoke,
And even stopped speaking to listen, when I stopped speaking to listen!

I killed the person in the mirror. This is how it happened:

I went around with greed, wanting everything for myself,
Gathered as much as I could, stumbling all the while
I saw hands outstretched...bit those that came too close!
With my prize, I came back home and he was already there...
That person I shared my home with: the person in the mirror
He stared at me through the eye-holes in his mask and I saw his eyes...
He had the eyes of a conqueror.

We smiled at each other and went our separate ways

It seemed I could get along with him

But my greed became pride
And I began to eye the world from over the bridge of my nose.
Shunned or was shunned, I didn't care to care!
I intimidated with my gait and walked to my goal on the path cleared out for me!
With my trophy, I came back home and he was already there...
That person I shared my home with: the person in the mirror
Again, he stared at me through those eye-holes in his mask and I saw his eyes...
He had the eyes of a peacock.

We snubbed each other and went our separate ways

It seemed I couldn't get along with him after all
Not that it mattered though!

But then my pride met a wall and became hatred
And I began to keep to myself to scheme the wall's downfall.
Forged a nice weapon for the wall, searching for the cracks I knew it bore!
When a crack of opportunity finally revealed itself (a crack of weakness!),
I struck the wall--with all my strength!
But the wall...it didn't budge!
With a grudge I came back home and he was already there...
That person I shared my home with: the person in the mirror
He stared at me! Again! Through those eye-holes in his mask and I saw his eyes...
He had the eyes of a snake!

I couldn't stand him anymore so I threw my fist at him and so did he!
Our fists connected and he shattered!

Just like that...

I...killed the person in the mirror. With my bare hands, I did...

I didn't know who it was until his mask shattered and I stood over his shattered body
And when his fractured, empty eyes stared up at me, I realized what I had done...

I killed the person in the mirror. I didn't know he was me.

This poem first appeared in GREY MORNINGS, BLACK NOONS AND WHITE NIGHTS