I look in the mirror,
and here’s what I see
two different people
staring back at me.
I see the one
I believe myself to be,
but deeper down
I see a kinder side of me.

Like a sweet smelling rose,










I invite you in.
I appear elegant and breathtaking,
but I make you cringe,
for when you reach down to pluck me,
much to your surprise,
your finger gushes red,
as my thorns suck you dry.

My temper flares like fire,
unwelcome in the heat.
The slightest stir or sound,
makes me leap to my feet.
I resent rockets
that go far beyond my sky,
as I soar like an eagle,
watching waves of people walk by.

Like a snake, I slitter
silently in the grass.
When enemies arise,
I trap them in my grasp.
I strangle them and squeeze,
until they give up and be my meal,
for I am not easily swayed by
desperate and pleading squeals.

I long to burn the brightest
and illuminate the night,
even though I know
I am doomed to lose that fight.
I am terrified that the sand
will break the glass and be gone, or
that my fire will go out,
in spite of the famous song.

Despite all of these horrid things,
I believe that trapped and not at peace,
lie kinder qualities that
I am desperate to release.

If there ever is a game,
I always love to play,
but I have no time for those
who play the wrong way.

No matter how I try to claim
to have a heart of stone,
the truth is that
I feel the world’s pains and moans.
Though I try to block them out,
to keep my mind at rest,
I fail to be that cruel,
for my heart beats inside my chest.

I care for little,
but when I do,
I am like a lioness with cubs,
who will fight for you.
I feel little pity for my prey,
and even less for my pride,
all that I care for,
is the joy in my cubs’ eyes.

I am not one for gift giving.
I despise to waste my cash,
but if you give to me,
I will always give back.

The lines often blur
between dark and light,
good and evil, and
black and white.
What one sees as wicked,
another sees as right.
It all comes down to
your reflection in the night.