Over the years I have stared

at myself

in the mirror, seen

thousands of reflections

of four-eyed me full

of sidelong glances and sly misdirection

looked into

a smoky glass dim

lit by sconces

I kissed the air

put on lipstick

adjusted my glasses

ready for the cruel world

I looked in a mirror today

ten times maybe more

sometimes I saw an old lady with frizzy

white hair and specs

sometimes I saw me

a thousand times I saw me.