Each time you glance in the mirror,
By the time the image of your face
Has traveled across the space
From the flat surface there
To the lenses of your eyes
And been reversed by them
On to your retinas
And been reversed again
At the back of your brain
To register there
In your consciousness
As a true picture
Of what you look like now,
It's already out of date:
It was a true picture
Of what had earlier
Traveled across the space
From your face to the mirror,
But now
You are that much older.











Used by permission of the author.