Twin Views
One for the World, One for the Self.
We often have two selves-or more than two.
One for the world to see, one for the self.
One soul in the shadow, one in the light.
👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤
Your soul
Shimmering at the mirror’s edge
Shadow formed, yet too long
Lurking at the edge of my name
As if someone else calls.
👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤
But I did not answer.
Treading a path oft beaten.
You took the turn I shunned
Walked through a storm only I saw
And understood.
👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤
From my cage of safety
I lauded your courage
The wild of the unknown
Your flame burned on
Mine was lit, yet cold.
👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤
Yourself—
Free, opening doors to life,
Tucked in creased folds, unseen.
Mine—
For display,
Pausing by the knob
Of the door
To the known.
👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤
As one—
Me seen, you in the mind—
Mould a self
Complete
The same pulse
Throbbing over two worlds—
👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤
Form unseen—
One a soul,
One a mask.
👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤👤🖤
Original Poem by Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin. AI tags are coincidental.
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.
Keep reading
More stories from Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (6)
Excellent take on the challenge! I especially like: “ Your soul Shimmering at the mirror’s edge Shadow formed, yet too long Lurking at the edge of my name As if someone else calls.”💖
I love how you explore the split between who we are and who we show to the world. Very relatable.
Oof, that was hauntingly beautiful! 👏 I caught that quiet ache in “Mine was lit, yet cold” that’s the line where your hidden self whispers the loudest.
Beautiful poem. Interesting how you decouple yourself from your mask in the beginning and then reunite them in the end as one person going forth into the world. Very well done, and good luck on the Challenge.
Excellent words for the challenge
So true, Michelle, a beautiful poem!