Gazing in the mirror, leering back is a stranger,
A shadow, foreign and weathered by danger,
A soul scarred for eternity, from treachery like a dagger—
Twice undone by himself, plodding through life in a stagger.
The more he stares, he drifts away to another time,
To one he could’ve had, an illusion of a perfect life,
A firmament that could’ve been, a haven of bliss divine,
Dwelling on a fantasy, a blueprint of his own design.
The illusion fades, the mind floods with memories of exile,
The trek across scorched deserts and thorny trails,
Echoing of roots as an outcast, where resentment finds its ground,
Pride anchors him, knowing that none could wear his crown.
Though what merit lies in pride, if unheard from another’s lips?
What value is of a crown which is heavy and void of gilded slips?
Bound to wander of a mirage where crossroads lead to grace,
Only to find the same stranger staring back from a different face.
– C.R –
Apr 28
Apr 28, 2026 at 9:09 AM UTC
Gazing in the mirror, leering back is a stranger,
A shadow, foreign and weathered by danger,
A soul scarred for eternity, from treachery like a dagger—
Twice undone by himself, plodding through life in a stagger.
The more he stares, he drifts away to another time,
To one he could’ve had, an illusion of a perfect life,
A firmament that could’ve been, a haven of bliss divine,
Dwelling on a fantasy, a blueprint of his own design.
The illusion fades, the mind floods with memories of exile,
The trek across scorched deserts and thorny trails,
Echoing of roots as an outcast, where resentment finds its ground,
Pride anchors him, knowing that none could wear his crown.
Though what merit lies in pride, if unheard from another’s lips?
What value is of a crown which is heavy and void of gilded slips?
Bound to wander of a mirage where crossroads lead to grace,
Only to find the same stranger staring back from a different face.
– C.R –