The mirror looks at me
with tired eyes
— a smile stretched too thin
complexion so pale
that I remember how long
it was without any sunshine

The mirror looks at me
with broken lips
—words stretched too thin
to mean almost nothing
frame so gaunt
that I remember the time
it took for me to get here

I keep asking myself
—talking to the mirror
what changed?
what keeps changing?
will it stop?
will I stop?

Because the answer
is as terrifying as the truth
—my smile changed
my eyes changed
my soul changed
because I changed

april 17, 2021