My Reflection in a Metal Mirror
Vince Fleming via Unsplash
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Poetry
My life confined to a white sack
They dress us all the same
The sack is heavy, dragged around
But weighs less than my shame
They tar us all with the same brush
As we shuffle through the dorms
But each sad smile is so unique
Behind the uniforms
Always under watchful eyes
Of those who keep the score
Daily routines reminiscent
Of Orwell’s “84”
The landscape never changes
You stare at trees of steel
Monotony, intrusive thoughts
Emotions lose their feel
The windows with the sweetest view
Show sunsets made to mesmerise
The other side now views floodlights
As the consolation prize
My reflection in a metal mirror
My eyes feel lost and sore
Mirror mirror, who’s the fairest?
My conscience or the law?
Muffled cries throughout the night
A hundred whispered prayers
A desperate search for guidance
From wide-eyed ceiling stares
A hundred solemn faces
But so lonely in the crowd
Finding comfort in the basics
When the fear, it gets too loud
Trudging an invisible line
Purgatory and parallel universe
Some days you wonder, this or death
Which outcome would be worse?
Time becomes a concept
The saddest campfire tales to tell
The hope I clutch, it threatens
To dissolve forever into hell
Forward plans with good intentions
Glimpse freedom through the curtain’s sheer
We all together, share a goal
Of never ending up back here.
Date Published
October 1, 2026
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