The Mirror Didn’t Break, I Did

I stood in front of it
Not to fix my hair
Not to smile
But to ask who I was

The mirror stared
Like it always had
Cold
Quiet
Cruel

My face didn’t change
But my eyes did
They didn’t blink
They begged

I leaned closer
And heard nothing
But silence
Louder than screams

Not a single crack
Not a single shatter
But I
Was crumbling

Piece
By silent piece
I disappeared
Inside my own reflection

Not all breakdowns
Make a sound
Some just wait
For you to notice

I smiled once
To check
If the mirror would lie
It didn’t

It gave me back
What I tried to hide
Every scar
Every storm

It showed me
The version
I buried
Years ago

People say
“You’re strong”
But they never saw
Me in that mirror

They never saw
The tears
That didn’t fall
But drowned me anyway

The mirror stood still
But I collapsed
Inside myself
Without a sound

I left the room
But not completely
Some part of me
Still stares back

Waiting
To be whole again
Or at least
To break for real