Self Reflection by Zoë Coval

I once wished I was thinner. You would never see me eat dinner. I never felt like the perfect pretty princesses in magazines. Or the bewitching beauties behind the screens. They would wear skin tight jeans, so tight they couldn’t breathe.

If only I knew, they stuck on their teeth with glue. If only I knew, how they trashed and masked, painted their faces and ripped out their braces.

Words that once filled my vast sea of tangled thoughts, Images, stupefied and strangled my eyes until reality was nothing but knots. But now my vision is cured. I’m older and more mature. Though I’m not the one to praise. I’m not the one who yanked me out of this hopeless haze. I used to shatter at the sight of my own reflection, But now I welcome the shards of glass that mimic my complexion. So, a thank you to my mirror, For helping me see clearer.

The calm cold shiny surface is smooth to the touch. The soft stillness of each edge enhances every scar and stretch mark. The lingering luminescent light traces the glass just right.

I’ve learned to love all my blemishes and bumps. I’ve sought to see all my talents and triumphs. I’ve worked to welcome all my scars and secrets.