Mirrors of Anguish
written by: Caroline Gauld
Windows are soulless eyes
Invisibly condemning us to hell
Within clear view of heaven
Encased, enclosed, locked in a prism
A tap on the glass signals “hello”
Living life in a gold fish bowl
All the time my face reflected
Trying to stay connected
Hot to the touch but cold as ice
This pane a great divide
Freedom isn’t a god given right
When caged, collared and confined
In isolation behind the glazing
Denied the touch of close relations
Behind these transparent bars
Anxiety separation leaves its scars
When comes the lifting of restrictions
Tentatively I’ll step beyond the curtains
I’ll look back at my reflective jailer
And realize he was my savour
My frustration crushed
into a thousand crystals
Freedom is mine to embrace
And I’ll move forward full of grace
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
My poem is obviously of the time.
It comes from the pain this necessary separation is causing. My father is in a care home and we can only communicate through the window. My darling niece who has just had a baby in lockdown has only been able to hold her little girl up to the window for her family to meet. Many, many people will resonate with what I feel, I’m sure.
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