Halfway to Narcissus
Poetry on Vanity

Join our friend Narcissus on a journey of self-discovery-- even if he only makes it halfway.
Hope waits--even for vanity.
πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ
Halfway to nowhere, my foot drifts
Above the cracked pavement
Past the pond's edge
Its ripples tug
At my knees' shadow.
πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ
I almost look.
πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ
I see my face--
Half-covered.
πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ
The ripples pull.
πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ
Harder.
πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ
I fall before I meet...
πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ
Myself.
πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ
I'm not the boy who fell.
Not a man who walked past--
Just a breath between
A pond's half-reflection
Almost familiar.
πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ
In the space between dark and self-
Hope waits.
πͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺπͺ
Original poem by Michelle Liew.AI tags are coincidental
For Poppy's #13 prompt
And Vocal's Challenge:
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.



Comments (4)
I like how every line feels like a ripple in the pond.
Deep, reflective, and beautiful! I didnβt realize I wasnβt subscribed, so I rectified that oversight!
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