I looked into the mirror
to see someone else staring back.
The encounter was too quick
for me to get a name,
but she seemed familiar.

I noticed her stubborn chin,
her easy dimples as she
smiled in passing,
her dark outline.

I tried to follow, meeting only
glass and plaster as my
hand went to tap her shoulder.

She seemed lost, trapped even,
as if her world was not big enough,
as if her world knew nothing
of what she carried.

I wanted to help her,
but I can’t seem to travel across
the divide separating us.

If I see her again,
I’ll be sure to cry out.
But for now, I look into the mirror
and see nothing in return.