Flights of vision
The world is full of twisted mirrors
held up by deluded caretakers who
project twisted falsehood into lives
they are charged to protect.
My mirrors are different, hung between
shoulder blades, spreading out to
allow flight to wherever I need to go.
Bright shining mirror wings,
inset with lenses which glitter
like eyes seeing different worlds.
Didn’t always have them, at least I don’t
think so. Something inserted the
roots of them, don’t know who.
Must have been asleep.
They started as grey shriveled things,
then expanded with each beat of my heart
as I climbed into light, working transformation.
Reflections have many different uses.
Bloody faced predators see themselves and shy away.
Sometimes I fly right in front of their eyes
so their own image swoops upon them, teaching
what it is like to be trembling prey
in the last moments of little lives.
I am most myself when I show
seekers themselves, who never saw
an honest reflection before.
A grueling transition, to recognize
lies one grew up with as lies, warped
images twisting beauty to ugliness.
The truth may set one free,
but first it hurts like hell.
Mirrors and lenses are powerful things;
once caught sunlight, nearly incinerating
home and self with hyperfocus.
That taught me.
So sometimes gentleness is required, mere
glimpses of self as they truly are.
Then wings clap together behind my back,
lest truth-seekers panic, run
the other way, for it can be terrifying
to see oneself for the first time.
Incrementally beholders learn to see
inner strength, beauty. A beautiful
thing when they draw closer, really
look, filling themselves with themselves,
for then they are full of courage,
ready to look through lenses
into strange, wonderful worlds.
Thing is, I can’t look into
my own wings. Bless my lover
who has wings of her own;
we show each other each other,
with visions of bright possibility.
~ Wry Welwood
15th of July 2021
This poem was written in response to POMprompt #27: Be a Butterfly.
Here is a link to the prompt so you can write one too: Be a Butterfly
Thanks to MDSHall.