% _

MIRROR WALKERS

// naheed phiroze patel

Mirror, break
for me
I'll walk through,
tear off my skin
Mirror, take pieces
of my skin
make a mirror
of me
I want anyone
to fall in love
not knowing it is
only themselves
they see

Never, Mirror
Say I am a ghost
screams I buried
underneath the earth
my fingers touch,
reach down to a womb of salt
sorrow becomes
moth orchid
feed it, Mirror,
light

once I planted a tooth
to grow a daughter
a mirror
Mirror, Cloud, Rain
how frightening
a parent's anger is
like god hating you
we'll walk
into a mirror
shattered mirror
we will be free
the other side of
Mirror

Break mirror
for me;
walk through, I'll
tear off my skin,
take pieces, Mirror
of my skin,
a mirror. Make
me of
anyone I want
in love — fall to
knowing it is not
themselves only
they see

Mirror, never
a ghost am I. Say:
I buried screams —
the earth underneath
touch my fingers
salt of a womb reach down to
become sorrow,
orchid moth
Mirror, feed it
light

a tooth I once planted
a daughter to grow
a mirror
Rain, Cloud, Mirror
frightening, how
a parent's anger is
you hating god like
we'll walk,
Mirror, into a
mirror shattered
will we be free
of the other side,
Mirror?