Reflections of
Who I am
Who I want to be
Personified in
Perfect symmetry
Lines blur and blend
Bending to my will
Distorting where reality ends
And make-believe begins
I drift in and out
Amongst the reeds and the trees
My memories floating
Dancing on the surface
Reliving the past
Without absorbing
What might have been
What still could be
Filling an aching void
Always reproachful
Always critical
A bright light
Thrown back from the surface
If only we could change
To reflect a better version of ourselves
A flawless mirror
Illuminating the beauty
And light within our soul
Ed. note: The idea for this poem came to me after spending time looking at the beautiful reflections of the trees on the water on my lake. At first, it was going to be a photo essay, but it morphed into a poem after I visited a sculpture called "Reflections" last weekend in a park in Pickering. The sculpture was erected in memory of those who lost their lives to COVID. Here was the description:
"Amongst the panels sits a solitary void to the open sky. The mirrors encourage us to see ourselves from different perspectives and contemplate the personal and collective experience of self-reflection and solitude. The missing mirror examines themes of loss and grief, representing those we lost to COVID-19. Every day as the sun crosses behind the sculpture, the bright spot created by the void cuts through the shadow as it swings across the ground. This light is a reminder that although our loved ones may be gone, they are not forgotten and will continue to be present in our daily lives, drifting in and out, both in influence and memory."
