The girl in the mirror
In shadows cast by mirrored glass,
A captive girl, a ghost from the past,
Felt the whispers creep and crawl,
“You’re ugly, worthless; you’re nothing at all.”
With every glance, the message burned,
The cruelest lessons never learned;
“Hey you, ugly,” the voice would sneer,
Echoing doubts that traced every tear.
She leaned in close to the trembling frame,
A stranger’s face now lived in shame—
Big bunny teeth, a nose slightly bent,
Hollowed-out eyes where laughter went.
Once vibrant dreams turned to dust and ash,
As teenage years slipped away like a flash.
On empty plates where hunger thrived,
The laughter of voices kept her alive.
A piece of toast, if she dared to eat,
But the pain was comfort, so sick and sweet.
Toilet paper became her silent friend,
Filling the void. was this how it would end?
From size twelve to eight, the battle was grim,
Yet the voices only grew ever more dim.
“You’re fat! Look, they laugh! What a whale!” they howled,
While the mirror mocked her, hollow and cowed.
But in the shadows of adulthood’s light,
She sought for freedom, for grace in her fight.
The girl in the mirror still holds her stare,
Yet one truth lingers; it’s breathing somewhere.
She wears now the curves of a warrior’s crown,
A size eighteen, she’s learning to drown—
The whispers that thickened and strangled her breath,
Are fading, dissolving, a slow dance with death.
And though the girl watches, fiercely she stands,
Rejecting the echoes with tender commands.
“Not just a reflection, but a spirit set free,
I am more than the voice; I am finally me."
So let the mirrors show tales of the past,
With all of its sorrow, each shadow cast.
For in defiance, she rises anew,
An ember of strength,
forever breaking through.
Inspired by my years fightinh Eating disorders and body dysmorphia.
Copyright © Davina Browne | Year Posted 2024
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