I see the mirror's reflection of
everything that I'd love
to be.

I hear the whispers and echoes near me
and ache from the burdens I am forced to carry.
I feel your icy breath
down my neck.
Your comforting eyes
stare through my lies.
I know this mirror's reflection of
everything that I love
isn't me.

There are too many voices and too many words.
They spout insults until all of me hurts.
They promise not to hurt me if I behave,
but I think they lie and will fight 'till I cave.
The only thing I depend on is this haunting mirror.
I keep it hidden, out of sight, afraid you will appear.

Your smile crushes me.  Do you really not know?
I do not want to sink in the fires below,
but there is no way to escape from this mimicked reality.
The only option
is death.

There once was a boy in the mirror.
I used to see him there everyday.
He'd always looked so sad and say,
"Please!  Can you help me get out?
Somehow, I'm trapped in here!"
I'd ignore him.  He wiped away all his tears.

One day was different from the others.
The boy had bruised arms and eyes.
I asked him what was wrong but he spoke only lies.
"Nothing much," he said.  "I just fell off my bike."
I know he wasn't telling the truth to me,
but I said nothing and let him be.

The next day came and went.  A full moon climbed the stars.
I awoke to a sound in the middle of the night
and was blinded by the moon's glorious light.
Perhaps the boy would still be up.
I walked to the mirror and found him there.
Blood coated his dark hair.

He sat up and looked at me scared, then shocked.
Slowly, he stood up in front of the glass.
"I'll be fine," he said.  "It won't last."
I wiped my eyes and walked back to bed.
He worried me.  I hoped the cause would go away.
I wanted everything to be okay.

I searched for him in the morning.
He was at the mirror but sleeping.
His face was red from recent weeping.
"Trapped," I said aloud to myself.
"He said he was trapped in the glass.
I hope that this will all pass."

That evening, I saw him again.
He had stitches and a shaved head
and red gashes from the belt on the bed.
He tried to hide his face when he saw me.
I asked, "What happened to you?"
"Dad--I mean, I fell down stairs.  You could too."

The next morning I asked him the same thing.
"Like I said, I fell down the stairs.
I'm not hurt bad.  Nobody cares."
"I do," I said.  "I think you're cool."
But I couldn't convince him otherwise.
Still, hopelessly, I tried.

Years have passed between then and now.
I still see the boy all the time.
We're teenagers and everything's fine.
At least, that's what he says.
He wears long sleeves to cover his arms.
I don't know what happened but they're covered in scars.

He tells me how bad his life is.
He says, "You're too nice.  Like the others, I must've made you up."
"That's not true," I say.  "Look here, we can touch."
We place our hand on the mirror and stare at each other.
"I guess you are real," he admits.  "Fine."
I smile.  "Hey, being wrong is not a crime."

One day he tells me, "Come closer to the glass."
He rests his hand over mine.  "This is our secret.
Never tell.  Promise me you'll keep it."
I nod to let him know I agree.
"I've found a way to get out of here.
I'll no longer be trapped by pain and fear."

He stands, pulls a cord around his neck and jumps.
He squirms and lets out ghastly sounds.
I panic and time seems to slow down.
You see, we are identical in almost every way.
We've become a part of each other.
We share everything with one another.

I guess, I never knew how he truly felt.
His body stops twitching.  He is gone.
I gaze, horrified, at the boy I knew for so long.
The mirror turns into pitch darkness.
He really wanted to be free.
Understand, the boy in the mirror is me.

Trapped.
Ignored.
Risking it all without reward.
Unwanted.
Shunned.
No one knows you were the one.

When you know of your wrong, but you can't deny
all the feelings you carry on the inside.
You have no worth, and don't you cry
even though you feel like you want to die.

you masked everything and blocked all others out.
You knew they only wanted to fill you with doubt.
You know you are special since death is near
to save you from all the fires of fear.

How can you stand to watch the whole world burn?
You needn't do what you did; you'd nothing to earn.
I hope to never see your return.
You say you freed them of their concern.

This... confinement you have placed yourself in
won't be able to save you from all of your sin.
You're a psychopath, a murderer, a monster.
How can you find solace through your slaughter?

Why do you think you deserve a chance at life
when you killed so many with the swift cut of a knife?
I hope death will come to take all of your might.
To take you away; to hide you from our sight.

You feel you grow stronger but your light surely dims.
I want to watch as it goes, in your confinement grim.
I cannot deny how hard I have sought to find you.
I watch you from afar, silhouette clear from my view.

I'm the survivor of your chaos and now
you only have days to live.

You act alright, but deep inside you know something is wrong.
A silent fight over everything; it's lasted so long.
Little have this, little know, the sadness within you very soul.
You feel heavy; you feel the guilt.  You've never felt so low.
You panic, so frantic.  I laugh at all your measly pleas.
I'll never let you go, even while you beg on bended knees.
I am anger; I am torment.  I'm your every fear.
I am emotion; I am feelings.  I am always here.
You can't escape, you can't run from any of this temptation.
I'll be here waiting your return.  This is your occupation.
Take your time enjoying life looking over your shoulder.
I'll be watching at all times as you grow older.
Go to a bar, get drunk, stay out late, and sleep in,
but you'll never forget me, the sadness within.

The sky, the most beautiful thing this world has left.
Oh my, what a broken place we live in.
To fly will be my last wish when the end comes.
We'll die, holding tight to our only kin.

Untouched by destruction and work of man.
Untouched by humans that control the land.
There is no other place to go but up.
So hold onto me for as long as you can.

Pass through the atmosphere, and you will find
a mysterious world called space and time.
Planets revolve around a burning star.
Watch as they orbit and slowly align.

The heavens--some call it--is where we'll go.
Where the clouds can pass by neatly and slow.
Observe the waters of Earth from above.
Without gravity, try dancing with your shadow.

The sky, the most amazing place this world has left.
Oh my, what a broken place we live in.
To fly will be my last wish when the end comes.
So high I'll soar, a new journey begins!

To find in yourself something lost, hidden
Then realizing all it’s potential, forbidden
Setting it down and walking away
You’ll never get a second chance...

I cry in barren deserts, the tears stolen from me.
My eyes are dry, like the sand, washed away by the sea.
My hands are scarred and calloused; my shirt is torn away.
My feet are burnt and blistered by the dawn of a new day.

The time that's left is dwindling; I feel I have it all.
I count down the minutes 'till the time when you next call.
My soul is crushed and withered; your name is on my lips.
You'll be the one who saves me from this deathly abyss.

Inside me, a cavity where my heart likes to hide.
It's turned to stone, cold and hard, by despair, hate, and pride.
The world around me is blurred, a mirage to my eyes.
The sun's scorching my peeled skin.  My head is filled with lies.

The time that's left is dwindling; I feel I have it all.
I count down the minutes 'till the time when you next call.
My soul is crushed and withered; your name is on my lips.
You'll be the one who saves me from this deathly abyss.

I cry out in this lonely world, "Help me survive the night!"
You responded with your name, my eyes bathed in your light.
Too bad I'm trapped in my mind, slowly, surely dying.
I pull myself towards the shore; I've given up on trying.
This desert that I have crossed, surrounded by the sea,
was my final obstacle in my journey to be free.
I watch my body float away from me, washed away from the shore.
And strangely, it begins to rain; I dance in the downpour.

I have beaten this battle; I'm so close to getting out.
The rain has quenched the desert from the never-ending drought.
But something is wrong; something's different in my mind.
Who cares anymore?  I'm leaving this state behind.
I leave my earthly being as my mind becomes a blank slate.
I watch as my family cries; who knew that this would be my fate?
They wanted to end my suffering; they ended my pain.
But I was close to being saved; they took my life in vain.