The Mirror Did Not Come as Glass
written by: Elizabeth Bonsera
The mirror wasn’t made of glass,
but bitter words
and eyes downcast.
Thinks she’s such a pretty thing —
Ready, aim, cock that sling.
A curl misplaced,
a blemished face,
a picture-perfect narrow race.
Jump in the pool.
Go deep within —
but all she found
was blurred with sin.
And sinners go to hell, you know.
And so she worried to and fro.
And every move,
and every breath,
was marked with fear
of what comes next.
They found the hole, it felt so wide,
She couldn’t really ever hide.
Fit in.
Get thin.
You’re smart.
You’ll win.
And so she did the best she could
to hide behind the things
that would
deflect,
protect,
forget the dream.
But life was full of stuff to do!
She got this shit, she pulled it through —
From here to there, from up to down,
the mirror blurred the line somehow.
And through it all, she loved and lived
and gave and took and did and did.
The men, the boys, the fun, the toys —
The babies came in times of joy.
No time to fret, the mirror said.
You’re lucky to get out of bed
and make the beds
and off to school
and cars and bars
and hope and bills.
No line of sight in any way,
just busting through the live-long day.
Then came the hurt.
The broken hearts.
She lost herself
in all the dirt —
The dust and smudge
and blur of night
and darkness falling out of sight.
Far down the well, into the pit
of loathing. Pity.
Holy shit.
And every scar
and every burn
became a lesson
to be learned.
But she was slow
to really see
the mirror looking back at me.
Grandmother called and said,
My child,
You have to look inside a while.
It’s always been right there, you see?
Now let me show you what will be.
Eyes so deep, so dark and clear —
I see myself reflected there.
It’s time for you
to know the joy,
to see the bright light
that you are,
and know that love
is never far.
The space between
is calm and dear,
and you have nothing
left to fear.
Just breathe, and rest —
it’s not a test.
It’s simply rhythm,
and a chance
to dance.
To ride.
No need to hide.
Look up and watch
the stars align —
and there it is,
the mirror true —
the universe, my love, is you.
- The Mirror Did Not Come as Glass - December 11, 2025
