fifty trillion of them,
give or take an exponential few,
programmed to replicate, then die, ad infinitum
spawning perfect copies to ensure
molecular harmony

their perfection could not keep
their host from huffing on tar sticks,
gobbling bacon by the kilo, or worshiping the sun's crisping rays
until one of their eternal days, a perverse mutation occurred
one at first, then two, then four, then more
forgetting that all were once destined to die,
in a crimson clockwork fashion

apoptosis
the new invader would hear nothing
of this strange word, for it was the emperor of maladies,
its geometric procession a spinning spectacle to behold,
purloining space from the mortality hobbled trillions
evicted by cancer's kangaroo court

it will have its reign,
this galloping ghost maker, until
the host gives up the fight, and
that which fed its gluttony  
will starve it as blithely
as the body gave it
******* birth

The mirror in the bathroom, above the basin
Told me he was only admired
For his jewelled frame
And only required
Because he could reflect shame
Upon those who looked at him
finding themselves inadequate
Critisisng every feature, every limb
He saw them searching desparately
For themselves in his glass
they'd come close and whispher things
And to themselves, he could see them ask
"Why?" For he saw their mood swings,
Their lashes of confidence
"You can do this." They'd sometimes say
He saw them loving their appearance
From time to time, depending on the day
He saw them splash their faces
And fix their hair into neat buns
Trying to cover up the traces
Of rubbed red puffy eyes and tired lungs
The mirror in the bathroom, above the basin
Told me he saw people confronted
With the reality of who they are,
But to accept this - they were reluctant
Sometimes they stayed far
Away from his reflections
These days he was lonely and
observed them detest their "imperfections"
While washing their hands
The mirror in the bathroom, above the basin
Told me
He saw people in their most honest forms.