By: Anthony Rosa

The Eternal Reflection

I look into the mirror
and what do I see?
A broken man,
is staring at me.

A meek old man
with a soft, wrinkled mind,
a short skinny body,
torn apart by time.

Where is the boy
I used to see there?
A handsome young boy
with soft shining hair.

This man is a stranger,
the mirror is false.
I close my eyes
and pretend it’s a hoax.

But deep in my heart
I know that it’s true.
Gone forever is
the boy that I knew.

A clever imposter
has taken his place,
his mocking reflection,
I cannot erase.

As long as I live
we’re bound we three,
the implacable mirror
the stranger and me.

###

Standing Still

An old man sat with a chilling stare
observing the bold-face clock.
He could feel his knees cracking about
but his heart he could not.

He stood up and limped nearer,
crevices cratered around his face,
and as he looked in the clock,
what he saw was a disgrace.

He opens the door and air crunches his body’s case,
it hurts quite a bit and dutifully serves its place.

He walks by his old school filled with long nights,
wasted his time afraid of “real life.”

Stumbles by his old job,
and with thoughts from above,
did it for his wife,
yet was away from her love.

Looks at his house
with his items all locked,
doesn’t know why he didn’t sell
all those things he never touched.

Crawling back in his home,
there’s a price to pay,
he collapses in bed,
and tick-tocks away.

###

My Friend Desire

In life, there is a sole sin,
and desire is the one.
Most people refuse to accept it,
and instead would rather run.

It really makes no difference,
when all is said and done.
For either way all is seen
by the rising sun.

So all we do is hope and pray,
the fateful day, withers away;
but we are written with Judas,
and with our sins we’ll stay.