What I See When I Look in the Mirror

Summary

The poem "What I See When I Look in the Mirror" reflects on personal growth, the confrontation with past versions of oneself, and the journey towards self-acceptance and understanding.

Abstract

"What I See When I Look in the Mirror" is a contemplative poem that delves into the introspective journey of the author, Jonathan Greene. It portrays the mirror as a gateway to confronting past selves, memories, and the emotional baggage that comes with them. The author describes seeing a ghost of former versions, which evokes a mix of relief and nostalgia. The poem also touches on the haunting presence of past experiences and the judgment of an imagined audience. However, it evolves into a narrative of personal evolution, where the author acknowledges the growth from a lost child to an individual who navigates life with a more positive outlook. The mirror becomes a symbol of self-reflection, revealing a path to a future self that is unburdened by the past.

Opinions

The author views some past versions of himself with relief, as they represent traits and behaviors he no longer identifies with.
The mirror serves as a portal to the author's past, bringing forth both mundane and significant memories, including the loss of his mother.
The author grapples with the idea of an audience scrutinizing his actions, which he associates with feelings of inadequacy and the desire to retreat.
There is a recognition of personal growth, as the author sees a resilient individual who has learned to cope with loss and maintain a positive demeanor.
The poem conveys a sense of empathy for the author's younger self, who experienced loss and struggled to find comfort.
The author aspires to see beyond the reflection of his current self to envision a future free from the burdens of the past.

A Poem

What I see when I look in the mirror is sometimes a ghost An image that was once there, but no longer remains and maybe that’s a good thing because some of my former versions were not what I wanted to be and therefore, I don’t miss them when they don’t look back at me and all I see is an outline of what I once was

Sometimes when I look in the mirror I also see what’s behind me and sometimes it’s littered with ephemera from my past that is quite confusing An errant comment from a school pal My mom’s last breath of air here in this world Fictionalized versions of things I’ve done wrong so I don’t feel as bad about myself as usual and sometimes even in the background, it’s you An audience of unknown peers and jeers staring at me, waiting for me to make a mistake and go back to my shell, where there are no mirrors

What I see when I look in the mirror is someone who has grown, an upgraded version of that lost child and young adult who still struggles with loss and how to process it but also knows how to get through each day without a frown and constant negativity and now when he hears the birds in the morning he listens instead of wondering why those birds seem so happy, when the world is so sad

Sometimes when I look in the mirror I see the younger version of myself and it makes me sad for him, for me, that I spent so much time in the hole before I knew how to make it a place of comfort and that little boy was so hopeful for a moment until the universe took something from him that he could never, ever get back

What I see when I look in the mirror is a long, winding road, a place to go where every decision isn’t made for me and where I understand how the axis turns Maybe I see myself there as well, but these days when I look in the mirror I prefer to see more than just a returned image of a sometimes-brittle self, in favor of a future version of him that holds no weight

If you liked this, you might like this as well:

What I See When I Look in the Mirror

A Poem

The Hole

A Poem About Darkness