Sandglass

by T. Lynn Smith

A mirror like sand changes each wave.
Who can trust the reflection?
Beauty and disgust, both a temporary tide.
Each low removes a layer of truth.
Lies like sediment build.
Sands wash away, bare stones revealed.
Ebb and flood, view unclear.
Jagged and bleached, deceived.
Not a retreat, but a prison
Enclosed in a gold frame.

©T.Lynn Smith 2008

This poem is about how I sometimes see myself unclearly. Each mirror I pass is yet another occasion to judge myself. The image I see tells me who I am, what I’m worth. Like a troll that I must pay to pass the bridge, the mirror takes from me each time I see less, each time I pass sentence upon myself.