The Stranger In The Mirror Poem by John Yaws

I looked into the mirror just this morning-
To my surprise a stranger stared at me.
A man as hard and scarred as any warrior
I wondered to myself, "who could this be? "

I tried a smile to see just what would happen
The face which sneered at me made my blood cold
No humor could I see in his expression
Just bitterness and anger to behold.

I tried to shrug it off in desperation
The stranger made a mockery of me.
I wondered how to flee his cynicism
And how to make the stranger let me be.

I asked myself, "what is the explanation? "
Why do I see such dread and fearful sights
I seemed to realize at last my fancy
Had turned into a true and natural light-

That what I saw was how that others saw me
My smile had turned to pain some time before
That all the dew of youth had long since left me
And scars and marks of life were all I bore.

I asked myself "Oh, what's to be my portion? "
What price to bring cessation of my strife?
And a silky whisper seemed to haunt the shadows
The price which you must pay will be your life.

I fled the sanctuary of my bedroom
And hurried off to meet the coming day
Yet I know the stranger's there to wait the evening
And I fear what other word's I'll hear him say.