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Halfway to Narcissus

Poetry on Vanity

By Michelle Liew Tsui-LinPublished 6 months ago β€’ Updated 6 months ago β€’ 1 min read
AI Image generated by the author

Join our friend Narcissus on a journey of self-discovery-- even if he only makes it halfway.

Hope waits--even for vanity.

πŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺž

Halfway to nowhere, my foot drifts

Above the cracked pavement

Past the pond's edge

Its ripples tug

At my knees' shadow.

πŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺž

I almost look.

πŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺž

I see my face--

Half-covered.

πŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺž

The ripples pull.

πŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺž

Harder.

πŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺž

I fall before I meet...

πŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺž

Myself.

πŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺž

I'm not the boy who fell.

Not a man who walked past--

Just a breath between

A pond's half-reflection

Almost familiar.

πŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺž

In the space between dark and self-

Hope waits.

πŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺžπŸͺž

Original poem by Michelle Liew.AI tags are coincidental

For Poppy's #13 prompt

And Vocal's Challenge:

inspirationalFree Verse

About the Creator

Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin

Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.

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Comments (4)

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  • Sandy Gillman6 months ago

    I like how every line feels like a ripple in the pond.

  • Julie Lacksonen6 months ago

    Deep, reflective, and beautiful! I didn’t realize I wasn’t subscribed, so I rectified that oversight!

  • Dana Crandell6 months ago

    A fitting entry for both prompts! Love the last two lines.

  • Great words, I referenced Dali's "Metamorphosis of Narcissus" in my "Wingful of Eyes" story

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