Mirror Games: A poetry post

Hello all

I'm loving October so far, pleasant weather, and I'm getting lots of ideas, and getting the hang of the wobbly days (talking about the good stuff really does help to remember it's there, and there's been lots of good stuff of late.

This month I will be going away by myself for the first time since I had Mr 11, and I cannot wait! I'll be going to Ilkley Literature Festival, and taking part in the Open Mic (come and support me, buy your tickets here), which I'm choosing to see as exciting...

Anyway, I've not taken part in The Prompt in what feels like ages, so I'm putting that to rights today with a poem about playing games in the mirror. It starts off with the statement that I can see myself in the mirror now my hair is brown, and I can! It's great! While my hair was green I seemed to be forever checking if my hair was alright, when I looked at my face it was only to make sure it went with my hair, which sounds ridiculous, but I've realised how true it is since going back to brown. Now I'm back to staring at myself in the mirror, which I'm kind of loving.

I've been writing in iambic pentameter lots lately (there's a competition coming up), and so today's poem is a sonnet. Here goes:

Mirror Games

And now my hair is brown I can see me
and stare into my eyes within the glass
or plastic, or whatever it may be.
I concentrate to widen my iris,
to deepen the black pool that lies inside
the greenish blue of eyes sketched 'round with black,
and does it widen? Or did cloud pass by?
My daughter, seeing my reflection, laughs.
"What are you doing?" She demands to know.
"I'm trying to make my pupils dilate."
"OK." She nods. Approaching for her go,
like some mad creature on her soul fixate.
I kiss her rounded cheek, stay by her side
and in the mirror our eyes open wide.

© Cara L McKee 8/10/16

Do let me know if I've made you want to try doing this... and if you can!

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