He follows me wherever I go

At school, in the bathrooms, or at home

He is my shadow

He’s never around until I view my reflection

Daunting brown eyes filled with resentment

The ones I share with him

I awake to his hair every day

Tangled in intricate knots

I brush the identical thick strands we share

His hair maneuvering through the bristles

I brush the smile I hate

The toothbrush glides over his canines

The mirror judges me on the wall lurking

His grin faces me in my reflection

His nose appears, curving into a downward peak

His dimples indent my skin

I am what he left behind

I tried to hide him

I dyed his hair

I covered his face

Yet all I see in the mirror is him

Not enough makeup will cover his smile

His stamp will always be engraved on my face

The brand that was burned onto my body

I fear becoming him

That I will act on my appearance

That I will treat others like him

That I will hurt like him

I can’t escape the hints of him on my body

I will forever be a mini version of him

I am bound as his son

I am bound by blood