There Is Only One Me

Here I am, in the mirror again, smiling in that weird way. The way that makes me suspicious of myself. Good gravy, I am crazy. Looney. Certifiable. Where are the men in the white coats? I watch my eyes carefully. They are mocking me. Then I stick out my tongue at my reflection. Crazy. In a weird way, the person in the mirror is not me. It is honestly not. My left eye has some amber in it. I never noticed that before. I hold my eye open and lean in toward the mirror. The eye is red when I let go of it. Are my eyes a solid match? I blink wildly, trying to find amber in my other hazel eye. Diabolical self, the one who thinks up underhanded things, and does them, smiles at me. A big, evil, smile. A smirk. Who am I? Duh mah. Duh mah. Duh mah. My heart is beating too fast As I stare into a stranger’s eyes. A madwoman. She grins at me in a hunter’s killing way. A happy hunter’s killing way. My husband calls, “Do you want eggs?” We snap back together, madwoman and I. We are play-unified now, at our secret self core. I grin at my reflection. It is time to pretend there is only one me. “Sure,” I tell my husband. We are the great pretender. Contest: Pick a theme Poetry Contest Sponsor: Viv Wigley Written 8-18-2018