The Bar Room Mirror Extravaganza
I was sitting at the bar
Cursing my absence of a lucky star
It had, for me, been an awful year
When much to my surprise
In the mirror before my eyes
Was a reflection that reflected rather *****
Sitting in the reflection on the stool
Where I was crying like a fool
Was a three-headed image of a beast
One head was just a child
One of a man who looked quite wild
The other didn’t resemble me in the very least
I actually put my hands on my own head
Feeling for the other two heads instead
When the reflection started to laugh and guffaw
I took a quick look around
But no one else there I found
Then turned back to this vision that I saw
It said, “We are all alone
I told the bartender to go home
So you and I could have a little talk”
I tried to get up off my chair
But my legs were no longer there
And I knew I had nowhere left to walk
The child head began to cry
The wild man plucked out his one good eye
The middle head just looked at me and winked
“You’re acting like a baby
You’ve gone blind and half-way crazy
Things aren’t as bad as you might think”
“Your troubles will not resolve any quicker
By drowning them in liquor
And these heads won’t merge back to one
Until you accept responsibility
For in the mirror what you see
And undo all the harm already done”
I knew the image was probably right
My self-loathing I must fight
The only one to blame sat on the stool
When I glanced back up in the mirror
The image there became much clearer
And once again it was the face I thought I knew
The bartender was back in place
Other people filled up the space
My legs were back where they belong
I wasn’t sure just what to feel
I figured what I saw must not be real
As I listened to the juke box play a song
The bartender said, “Your drinks are on the beast
And your troubles will not decrease
Until you face them one problem at a time”
That was the last drink I’ve ever had
And my life is no longer bad
At least, not as bad as in this rhyme
My inner child has been put to bed
Both good eyes are in my head
And for lucky stars I no longer cry and pray
I take the blame for things gone wrong
But fix each problem before too long
And embrace each and every coming day
Written and posted on 3-4-2014 for the "Angel of the Odd" Contest
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