“Transparent mirrors”

Mirrors forget those who
peer into them so often –
one person walks away in
the evening, another fixes
his hair in the morning;
another practices his grin
(meant to be charming)
and another inspects
his flecked teenage skin.

Mirrors forget even their
owner, as even the owner
forgets the face into which
he peers as if the mirrors
themselves were transparent,
or the reflection too distant
to see, or too blatant to
read; too shallow to dive into;
too short for a preview.

Many of these mirrors
decorate the walls and
serve their multiple owners
with only one command,
one role – to reflect the
obvious, but silently conceal
the truth of what is real,
and what seems a statement
will forever remain transparent...