Ivory Skin

What do you see when you look in the mirror.

She stood in front of the mirror and stared
Looking at her every feature
The long red hair
The emerald green eyes
Sculptured nose
Perfect lips
Ivory skin

"Are you as sad as me?
You don't look as sad.
You don't look like you have just had your heart ripped out
and thrown into the gutter.
You don't look like someone whose life is over,
who feels like she doesn't have anything left to live for,
who feels life has passed her by,
who feels she will never love again."

"Are you as lonely as me?
You don't look as lonely.
You don't look like someone who has just lost their best friend,
their lover, their eternity.
You don't look like someone who feels friendless,
who feels the whole world has abandoned her,
who feels like the only person alive,
who feels she will never be whole again."

"Are you as lost as me?"
You don't look that lost.
You don't look like someone who has had their path in life
overgrown with hatred.
You don't look like someone wandering,
whose perfect plan has been torn apart,
whose dreams of the future have been shattered,
Who feels she will never be whole again."

She put her hand up to the mirror
The glass surface was warm and smooth to her touch
She gazed at her reflection a few seconds more

"You don't look like me at all."

She turned quickly and walked out of the room

The image in the mirror remained,
hand still up to the glass
A single tear escaped one of her emerald green eyes
and slowly rolled down her ivory skin

Reviews

[Astro]

Excellent expression of the ideas of "identity and image" and how they relate and or differ. Sometimes, the way we feel can be so ugly or, offensive even if we don't appear to be haunted or tortured. It takes a true empathic soul to see through appearances and feel the hurt, pain, and disgust. This poem was a good example of these themes. Well done Bill, and thanks Noodle for sending it my way.

[BillTemple]

Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you found some meaning in this piece

[Astro]

You're welcome, keep up the good writing.

[MandaBear]

It's amazing Very moving.

[BillTemple]

Thank you . I'm glad you enjoyed

[Rafia ~ Yellow Girl]

I can feel the sadness beyond the constant questions coming from the sad soul. So much going on and still the surface'all smooth.
It's a nice one! :)

[BillTemple]

Thank you for the wonderful comment.

[Barbara Walker]

The image of this is burnt into my mind. It's amazing the things a person can be going through and from outward appearances, no one has a clue! Awesome write!

[BillTemple]

Thank you so much for a wonderful comments

[Knightingale]

This is a captivating read. The way you set it up works wonderfully, as she questions the her she sees in the mirror. I love the act of her walking away from the her in the mirror at the end. It does often feel like we lose part of ourselves when we lose someone we love. All in all, a great piece. Thank you for sharing.

[BillTemple]

Thank you. I have just posted the second part to this series of 5 poems. Emerald Eyes.

[Knightingale]

It was my pleasure. And yes, I saw the other one, as well.

[BillTemple]

i saw that. thank you again. I will be posting the third poem soon

[marie]

This is enchanting:) you captured me to the very end:)

[BillTemple]

Thank you. I am so glad you enjoyed it

[marie]

No problem:) was a pleasure:)

[Mark]

I like the originality of this and the fact it has roots in fables. The mirror on the wall... Very nice read.

[BillTemple]

This is the first of five poems in this series. It follows one night in this woman's life.

[one sky]

Very moving. Truly, we can see what we intended to see...

This is brilliant. Nice word choice...and flow. Keep writing.

[BillTemple]

Thank you for the wonderful comment. I have been writing for over 40 years. Ivory Skin is one of my favourite of my newer poems.

[ANTO]

I read this with sadness Bill. Sadness that she cannot see the good in herself and sadness that this is probably art imitating life in most households - in a world where beauty has become standardised and true beauty - the beauty within has been derided and scorned in favour of the superficial.
An indictment on modern-day society.

[BillTemple]

This is actually the first poem in a five poem series that follows this woman on a journey of near self destruction..
Thank you for your time

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Excellent capture of the deception of reflection and self doubt when hurting.

[BillTemple]

The mirror has always been a source of wonder.

[Kristin Lee]

Very poignant write. The reflection in mirror so often does not capture how we "see" ourselves. It's just an image of flesh, not a reflection of what we've overcome, and certainly not what we've endured.

[BillTemple]

Exactly and so many times we see only what we want to see.