Image source – used with permission
Mirror, Mirror, on the wall,
Who is the fairest one of all?
Who is the wisest? Who is most kind?
Who listens to others? Who speaks their mind?
Who thinks that all their life’s learning is done?
Who knows their learning has just begun?
Mirror, Mirror, what do you see?
Do you see my reflection or do you see me?
Do you see my eyes, my face, my hair?
Or do you see the qualities under there?
I am only human; I do what I do.
Am I truly reflected in you?
Mirror, Mirror, look within.
Look past my nose, my freckles, my skin.
See the truth that lies inside:
Sometimes I fail, but always I’ve tried.
Sometimes I hurt, sometimes I feel joy.
Sometimes I’m confident: other times, coy.
Mirror, Mirror, who am I?
Sometimes I’m happy, sometimes I cry.
Sometimes I’m scared: other times, secure.
Sometimes I’m lost: other times, sure.
Sometimes I hide, but always I’m real.
I sympathise, empathise, celebrate, feel.
Mirror, Mirror, this is me.
I’m who I am and all I can be.
I’m not just my face, my body, my hair.
I’m not my things, nor what I wear.
You can see me, and I can see you.
Mirror, Mirror, reflect me true.
—
What does the mirror reveal to you about you?
Love this. I honestly have a love hate relationship with mirrors right now. I try to avoid them at all costs. Which makes getting ready interesting. The latest, experimental meds have me piling on the weight and the swelling in my face and neck over Christmas thanks to the meds really made me look like a puffer fish out of water.
Thanks Raychael. You poor thing. It’s bad enough feeling uncomfortable without being happy about the way you look, either.
Beautiful Em. Something I needed to read right now. The mirror hasn’t been my friend lately, all I can see is my aging face. The sun spots, fine lines, wrinkles, blotchiness, the way my cheeks and eyelids have begun to sag. I need to tell myself to look past that. Thank you.
Thanks Jodi. Means a lot. I hope you see more of yourself when you look in the mirror now.
I love the sentiment of this post and the rhyme! You so clever! A reflection is so much more than a physical manifestation as your post suggest, we need to love what’s on the inside as much as the outside. If we all loved ourselves a little bit more, imagine how awesome it would be to bask in that reflection of self love! PS Please excuse my blatant over use of exclamation marks.
Thanks Sammie! Bring on the exclamation marks! Never apologise! I seem to remember you nominating yourself to head up EMA!!!!! in one of my Practical Grammactical posts last year.
I love this Emily. All I see at the moment the reflection of a tired and cranky person I need to get back to seeing me. Really well said.
Thanks Vicki. Perhaps instead of looking at a mirror, you’re looking at me – I’m so tired this week! Not. Enough. Sleep.
Wow Em! That was a clever & powerful read within a simple format .. It really impacted me. Thank you. I’ve been seeing the person who is growing into herself as she moves into “old” age but with a slight spring in her step as she can see a more relaxed & smiling person within & without. This metamorphosis has occurred thanks to my greater knowledge & understanding of my inner self & acceptance of my body & face. I congratulate myself now (it’s taken decades for this change!) on what great things my body has achieved – giving birth twice, caring for my loved ones, teaching kids, achieving degrees and so on. Too many years spent disliking are now being replaced by gentle respect.
Thanks Denyse – what a lovely comment and so great to hear those extra words of wisdom and reflection. Disliking ourselves and our reflections is a waste of time.
It reveals that while I am fairly hairless on my body I seem to be extremely hairy on my face, except where I actually need it to be (like eyebrows and eye lashes). Damn mirror …
KAPOW! Take that, reflective comments! Thanks for the laugh. x
Dear Em, I won’t add a new comment …I read your post before I saw I had your blog to comment on! Denyse#teamIBOT
This is beautiful, Em. I’ve learned to avoid looking in the mirror too much. I do my best from day to day depending on the circumstances and just ignore the rest. If I like what I see I accept it. If I don’t, I just move on.
Thanks Bec. Means a lot when my fellow writers like my words. x
The mirror reflects someone I care for deeply but often neglect. Someone I love but often I hate. Someone who works too hard and need s a break ( I look exhausted)
Yes. Yes. Yes. Does your mirror reflect me? I hear you. Take care, you.
Such a beautiful poem and a powerful message.
Thank you Nadia. I appreciate that.
Beautiful and I was nodding the whole way down. As I get older, I worry less about what I look like, and more about the person I am, wan’t to be. Sometimes I think I am awesome, other times hideous, much like looking in the mirror Visiting from #IBOT.
I think that’s it – now we’re full of lessons and life experience and skills and STUFF, we worry less about how we present. We’re more confident in and of ourselves, perhaps.
STUPID INTERNET LOST MY LONG COMMENT
I’M SO SORRY THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW DAGNAMMIT NOW I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT SAID
(x)
Articulate, funny, thoughtful and true,
It’s within your words, I see reflections of you.
xxx
Rhyming is so contagious, isn’t it? Thank you. x
Oh Em this was great. I haven’t loved the mirror lately. Or more I haven’t loved what’s been reflected out of it, but really that’s only a part of who I am. I need to remember that.
Thanks Jess. Yes you do, because GORGEOUSNESS.
God I love your writing. You’re so clever with words. This is beautiful.
Means the world to me, Renee. Thank you.
Very impressed with your poetry skills!
Thanks Janet!
I try and avoid the mirror first thing in the morning. Gorgeous poem, love the sentiment. You are so talented!
Thanks Denise!
Much like the scales, we often ask the mirror to be kind! The more we look after ourselves, a better reflection we’ll find!! HEY! This rhyming fun is catchy!! Haha! Lovely poem Em xx
It certainly is catchy – nicely done! x
I read somewhere that we never see our faces, only how it appears in reflections and photos…that’s kind of kooky isn’t it?
That’s interesting! And makes perfect sense.
Beautiful poem, Em. I’m not overly worried about my reflection but I think we do focus on the outward far too much these days.
Thanks Amy. I can’t see that ending, but perhaps we can elevate the other attributes to at least match it.
I love this Em — the sentiment, the words, the rhythm. A great thing to read before heading into a busy weekend, thank you. x
You’re welcome! Thank you for your kind words.
Oh I LOVE this and I have to say I am currently living this daily at the moment. (Going through some serious life stuff at present.) Thanks so much for sharing this, it’s reached my core. X
Thanks Jody. I’m so glad it helped!
Brilliant writing Em – bang on!
Thank you Kirsty x
I really love this Emily. I’m funny about mirrors and avoid them as much as possible. And that’s not only because I’ve gained so much weight and feel frumpy and fat and ugly. When I was young my father commented that looking at oneself in the mirror was vain and that’s stayed with me ever since. I’m not sure if he caught me at it or what, but I’ve always been embarrassed if someone’s seen me looking in a mirror and have never spent much time there.
Thanks Deborah. I can see why that’s stuck with you. I certainly find it disconcerting if I’m talking to someone and I know their attention is elsewhere – and even more so when I realise that ‘elsewhere’ is their reflection!
Beautiful…clever rhyme, powerful message! #fybf
Thank you very much, Jennifer.
Oh dear, I have been avoiding the mirror altogether lately! Loved the poem 🙂
I avoided it so much this morning I’m pretty sure I went for a run with panda eyes! Ha!
Mirrors are fickle friends at best and flat out liars at worst. I find the most useful reflection of myself is found by looking at my family and friends. They show me the truth, good and bad. And I realise that being surrounded by such incredible people must mean I’m kind of okay, too.
xx
This is such a great comment, thank you. So considered. And yes – our friends are certainly a better reflection of us than those pesky mirror things.
Oo, nice one! Thanks for sharing Em xo
Thanks Keira!
I love this Em. I can picture this as a children’s book. Pair your beautiful words with some beautiful illustrations and I could happily cuddle with Miss T and read this. I’m sure it would raise a number of great and important conversations with her xx
Thank you so much, Tash, and your comment that this could be a children’s book? Made my day. I wrote this on the fly one day and didn’t give it a second thought. I’m finding these responses overwhelming. x