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Sunday, August 14, 2016

Mirrors

Mirrors

By May Kwek

One dark moon lit night
I walked into a room filled with moonlight
And saw a hundred mirrors each standing on stands
Each one deliberately designed by man’s hand

I walked to the first at the side of the place
Held it up and saw a sliver of my face
‘Disabled’, the words on the mirror said
But I didn’t see me so the image I’d trade

I walked to the next by a painting strange
For the faces there always changed
I looked into the mirror and I saw my face
But not my features, my character, just my race

I set the mirror for race down
And next to some prayer beads another one found
‘Religion’ it said, ‘in most the world’
And saw a perfect but unreal girl

I moved on to the drawers and beside a dress
Found a full length mirror straining under stress
I tried on the dress, did a little turn
And saw in the mirror, not a person, just a woman

As I got rid of the outfit something caught my eye
From the moonlight bouncing off a mirror shy
Dusty and broken lying on the floor
I wondered what it was meant for

It was small and simple, but firmly held in place
Just enough to reflect my face
On its edges was carved one word: ‘humanity’
And when I gazed into it I saw me

Copyright © 2016 by May Kwek

Sunday, August 7, 2016

A fickle twilight

A fickle twilight

By May Kwek

The deepening shadows
Are the herald of the night
The fading of the sky
Signals the twilight

Everywhere the sights darken
And shadows from their hiding emerge
Sparrows leave the darkening skies
And return home to their perch

The room grows ever darker
In the misty embrace of the night
Grey clouds from above
Cover the sun’s last waning lights

A low hum whispers
The steady beat of rain
Falling swiftly but quietly
Just outside the window pane

Yet the air feels quiet and still
Cool despite the absent wind
And the rain almost glides down
As though it’s always been

Then with a bright flash of lightning
Away disappears all calm
The sun bids a gleeful farewell
And the stormy twilight bids welcome

Copyright © 2016 by May Kwek