He was born with a mirror
held in his hand
peeping inside it
he saw the most beautiful baby in the land
The baby was cared for by a widower
a man lacking joy
a heart filled with sorrow
eyes yearning to cry
The man was scared to view his image
To see his own face in his mirror
for he had been molded into a mirage
of should's, should-nots, fears & shivers
This man saw the baby everyday
enjoying its face in its mirror
laughing and smiling
curiously admiring
its own pretty reflection
A yearning so deep
to be like the happy baby
stirred the man into a fit
the yearning turned to anger
anger to hatred
because to him, this felt unfair
He tore the mirror from its hands
smashing it onto the floor
bits and pieces flew away
alas, it couldn't be restored
the baby was shocked
the baby squirmed
the baby began to cry
wailing and wallowing
in a language inexpressible
begging to see itself one last time
the man felt scared
at the baby's wails
and wanted to suppress it soon
So he showed it his mirror
bequeathing it to the baby
telling it "this is yours now"
This mirror too, was broken and cracked
dirty with dust and derange
the baby picked the mirror
to see itself
and alas, saw a horrible image
no more did the baby like to see its face
it found it a horror to see
but again and again
the baby was made
to see its broken face
again and again
whenever it saw
the face, it wished for it to go away
unable to accept
this face to be the one
it had admired previously
the baby grew up
became a man
chasing knowledge, fame and pleasure
everywhere he went
in the dark recesses of his bag
was the broken mirror
many called him handsome
some called him art
most called him alluring
he hated these comments
quite disbelieving
that a horror like him was good looking
he wished these commenters would go away
he thought to himself everyday
wasn't he a horror, a ghost, a ghoul?
a terrible being better kept away?
as he ruminated one day
in his hand holding his mirror
thinking deeply so
there came a crow
smitten by its shine
Swoop! Snatch! Stealing it, away it flew
The man ran and ran
behind the bird
screaming and shouting for his mirror
the bird flew away
far out of sight
stubborn that it wouldn't let it drop
Tired & breathless
Sighing & dejected
the man felt tired & dropped
he landed in a heap
at the banks of a river
crying obstinately for his mirror
at long last
parched by his tears
he went to drink from the river
never had he seen such waters
so rippling, dark and smooth
as he crouched awestruck by the river's calm
he saw a man, attempting to reach the surface too
Wishing to save him, he injected his hand
into the calm river
only to find his hands catch nothing but liquid
the liquid of the deep blue river
perplexed, he tried again
again & again
to reach for the man
lying within
every time he went close
the man did too
every time he retreated
he did too
Feeling frustrated, he thrashed the surface
of the river with his hands
only to find the man shivering
dissolving and rippling, in an unnatural pattern
The confused man now sat quite still
allowing the river to get back its calm
he saw the bird, the thief of his mirror
perched on a tree, in the river
excitedly he reached for it
only to end up rippling it too
the bird shouted its call
causing the man to turn around
and see it perched safely up the tree so tall
the man looked up
the man looked down
the man looked back and forth
"If this be the crow
on that tree
in this river
then who is this man I see?"
The river had calmed
regained composure
allowing the man to see
A beautiful work of art
a handsome lad
who had once been a baby
holding its unbroken mirror
