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.

[Rita L. Sev]

That image in the mirror can be our worst enemy, or our best friend... especially when the heart has been broken. This is a poignant write...

[BillTemple]

Thank you. They say mirrors don't lie. It's how we perceive what we see.

[Einstein Noodle]

ouch! very successful write. the conversational tone is straight forward and real. we look in the mirror and put on the makeup .... don't we. your last verse opens my eyes to the hot iron piercing my heart..ouch!
E.

[BillTemple]

This has been one of my favorurite poems. It's one of those writes that seem to come from nowhere. It just appears

[Angel]

My thoughts on this beautifully poingnant write:
Oh...the pain of love gone wrong! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!!!!!!
But time passes, and the pain, though it never goes away, fades... The girl sounds young and beautiful, with her ivory skin, her lovely emerald green eyes, and her red hair...there will be another lover, one day, if she is patient...if she is open to him...
And, in his arms, her brokeness will heal.
So it has been since Eve first started having children...and so it will be throughout all of time.
As the Wizard told the Tin Man...hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.

But a heart that is unbreakable would not be able to love...

Thank you for sharing this wonderful write with us!!

[BillTemple]

As I said in an earlier comment, this is the first of five poems which make up this series and this woman's story.
Thank you for your wonderful comment

[B-poet]

Great work Bill. A definite & intriguing question in regards to soul searching. Loved the emphasis you've conveyed all throughout this fine write. An enjoyable read. :)

[BillTemple]

Thank you. I am humbled.

[Blank]

This was lovely, very strong. the repetition was used wonderfully and really helped emphasize the mood of the whole poem for me. Wonderful imagery, the girl was a solid image in my mind and her actions were very clear. Nicely written.

[BillTemple]

Repetition, when properly used is a powerful tool and I use it frequently in my poems.

[Sami Khalil]

"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, "
I like this beautiful write a lot...Thank you for sharing...:)

[BillTemple]

Thank you for the time. I appreciate it.

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome...:)

[s y e]

This is a great write, Bill - I liked how there was a little conversation going. Alot of good imagery here, too. A great write. It's funny how we all have different ideas of what we see in the mirror.

~ Noodle.

[BillTemple]

Thank you and thank you for bringing me here. This poem is on Wattpad in its entirety. There are 5 poems in this series and then the true story of the woman who inspired it

[s y e]

Wow, I'm so glad you're here, Bill. This site is great for poetry, I always thought Wattpad was for stories, your poems are popular already! :) cannot wait to read more