The mirrors mock me as I stare
into my imperfect face.
All I see is a hideous reflection
that I know I can't erase.
"You ugly fool! You'll never change!"
my ugly relfection sneers.
You'll be stuck with this disgusting face
for all your living years!"
So, I refused to show myself
to all the passing crowd.
For fear of being mocked and judged,
my head would remain bowed.
That is, until, I suddenly
had a changing revelation
that I shouldn't live my lonesome life
by this world's limitations.
So, I viewed my mirror one last time
and said to my reflection:
"I'll not remain in hiding longer
because of my complexion!"
And, incredibly, as I looked on
my view began to sway,
I began to look into my face
in a completely different way.
I no longer saw an ugly man
staring back at me.
Instead, I saw a more handsome man
of a much higher degree.
So, ugliness is just a view
by your mirror's mocking deception.
The only thing that makes you ugly
is just your own perception.
Author notes
Everybody is afraid of how they look, or, more importantly, what people think of how you look. But I have learned to not let yourself be held back by what others think about your looks.
I'm going for GOLD
There, I said it, Poetic. Am I still allowed in the contest? 
Written May 25th, 2006
A contest entry
- INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION... Give me all you got!! by PoeticSpirit79.
300 points, ended September 14, 2006, 14 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Give Me Your Best!!! by KnightOfTheRose.
425 points, ended May 25, 2007, 135 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Who Cares If You Like My Skin...As Long As I'm Comfortable In It by KittieLyyn.
370 points, ended July 16, 2007, 9 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 59 of 59
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The title an effective introduction to the poem.The poet speaks with a clear voice,concentratiing on simplicity to imbue a complex message,indeed 'tis all about perception.May I tentatively suggest that within the last stanza "by your mirror" may be "of your mirror"Just a suggestion.Your call dear poet.Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we may give to ourselves and to every other person is to not judge by the physical but look for the essence of the character.Beauty is as beauty does after all said and done.I learned this from a very early age,I had friends who were identical twins,both very easy on the eye,traditional Barbie type blond/blue eyed/shapely but they had completely different personalities and though identical they both percieved different flaws within themselves,I encouraged them both to dress to impress only themselves and after checking in the mirror to then really look into the people they met and see beyond their appearance too.
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very very awesome!! wooowww..EXACTLY what i was looking for.
definatley going to be considered in judging.
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Ah, so this is your famous mirror poem that i've heard about...well, I just have one thing to say to you...
*smashes mirrors* Ban the mean ass mirrors! Ban!
I love you just the way you are
Don't ever, EVER change
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wow!!! that was soooooooooooooooo good!!! I Loved it! I can see why you would consider this your best piece!!!! It was sooo good and flowed beautifully!! excellent work and the best of luck in my contest!!!!
-Steve- -
I decided I wanted to read a clever poem with a strong message, so I went into your archives and was not disappointed. I never am.
Mirror, mirror on the wall... interesting. What you say here is true in so many aspects of life, not just physical appearance. The way a person percieves events, other people, and his or herself. Perception is key to success. If we percieve a situation as truly hopeless, then we might as well take a thick black sharpie and label it. Same with the mirror. If we see ourselves as ugly, we may as well write it on our foreheads.
But, we don't have to look at anything in a negative light. The world is change- it is what we make it. It takes a lot of strength to change your perception on anything, especially on yourself. You are a strong person, my friend.
This poem os wonderfully crafted, and I always pronounced "facet" fah-SAY, so the rhyme scheme sounded fine to me.
The dialogue works well. I like how the mirror has nothing to say to your proclamation. It shows the level of confidence you yourself have in the decision. Brava!
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An excellent piece.. however, please remember the the phrase that is required in order for this to qualify in my contest... thank you...and good luck to you..
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I am certainly going to be looking for more of your pieces, I tend to write pieces with an strong message and even hidden messages and it pleases me so when I find another author who sends a clear and consise message. Poety can be a very useful forum to open the eyes of a reader, to make one think about something they never really gave alot of thought to. You do this well and I will be looking for more of your pieces.
Awesome job here! -
great poem, and i had one of those mirror's
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A very good poem, Dan. I love it and I believe in what you say. You should not care what others think, just believe in yourself. I love this poem, just awesome and has such meaning to it.
Fairy* -
you already know what i think of this... thanks for putting it here
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I love it! It flows effortlessly and the rhyme works well. Your poem demonstrates that socital values can confuse us, but that the strong prevail when they realize that it doesn't matter what others think. The important thing is what we think of ourself. What a valuable message this poem sends. A message that many unfortunate individuals never get. The ending is astounding as it wraps up the whole thing. Peace be with you.
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A very true and solid piece. Excellently penned as well. Bravo!
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Oh my God, I love this! Especially the ending, "The only thing that makes you ugly
is just your own perception."
Eefing love it. Just do.
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Wow this is amazingly true i think for alot of people. everyone who reads this should really listen to it... other people's opinion's shouldn't matter
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This is also great Xel. And you're Author's Comments are very true, I am afraid of how I look, but I usually don't let people see that I am. I really like this. Great job. You have great talent you should definately use it more.
<3 Cate -
Dan,
According to Webster's facet is pronounced fas-it which means one of the many sides of a cut stone or jewel or one aspect of a situation. I beg to differ with you in the fact that nearly all reading this poem would pronounce facet as fas-it and ruin your rhyme scheme
Ruth
Tootles! -
I know it's been awhile since you posted that comment, but I just wanted to clarify that facet would be pronounced fah-SAY. Sorry for any confusion. It does rhyme, actually. Anyway, thank you for your comment and advice, Ruth. Tootles!
Dan -
You've said a mouthful in this poem and what truth you've told. This poem is very good but could be excellent with just a few minor meter changes and correction to your lack of rhyme in stanza 6 ( which really distracts from the perfect rhyme throughout). It would take nothing but the change of a word here and there ( and absolutely no change from your intended meanings ) to make this poem into a classic. I'm sending you an Im with a few suggestions should you wish to see what I'm talking about.
Best wishes in the contest
Ruth -
This poem tells it all. This is so true. I think there are so many vain people who stare into a mirror all day trying to put on make-up, cover up the flaws they have. This is such a great piece. Keep up the great work and keep on writing!
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i think your poem is great it simply tells the truth
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I love the rhymes, and I like the message this poem sends to those type of people. I have days of looking into the mirror, only to think I am ugly. And other days, I don't even think I am seeing myself because it is not horribly ugly. You have a talent in poetry. That is for sure. Next time I look in the mirror, I will remember this poem.
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oh oh! i loved this! great great great job!!
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Magnificent
Bravo! Bravo! Encore! Encore! Wow...I really loved this one. And somebody's poetry has to be really good in order to get my approval, you can ask anybody about that. I only give bravoes to the really good poems, the ones that speak to me and touch my heart. I can totally relate to this one and I believe that that's why I love it so much. I have somewhat of a problem with my self-confidence, and lately my two worst enemies have been myself and my full length closet mirror in my bedroom that I have to face every morning when I first get out of bed. So this one really touched the heart in all the things you said and ways you said them. Thank you for writing such a magnificent piece of poetry, and thanks even more for sharing it with us. I will never forget your words for as long as I live. Great job.
The Cool Chick -
I sound like a complete sod when I say this because everyone else already has but beauty is truly skin deep.It's so cliche but I could kick my butt for caring about my appearance all these years when I should have been living life for all I could. You have so much to offer and I bet there are dozens of things you're dying to do so get out there and do them!
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Great write! So very true. I have problems looking in the mirror as well due to scars received by abuse. But thanks to my amazing husband, I am able to see past them to the real me. Thank you for writing this. It really touched me. Very well done. Jeannie D Hunter
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Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it. But where did you learn about my poem? How'd you find out about it?
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I like this poem it tells the truth and gives hope
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Oh so very true, and wonderful, once again!
Very very good! Yeah, when I was a kid, I was really depressed about how I looked, but then I got over it. You are completely right when it comes to this. Ugliness is a perception. After all, ugliness is just comparing yourself to someone who you percieve to look much better than you. Correctly correct, just perception. -
This was very true. You are only ugly if you believe you are. on this poem, and keep the magic ink flowing! Smiles to you and have a good day and keep writing and you are on my favorites list now and I don't know why I am still typing, but I am, so bye and have a good day. I hope I get a lot of points for writing this very, very, very long comments because I need points because I want to host a contest. Contests are fun aren't they? Anyway, good poem. I hope to read more of your amazing poetry, and learn from a good, experienced writer such as you. It is a good poem, very deep, and it does make sense. I loved it. Thanks for letting me know about it so I could read and comments on it. Keep the magic ink flowing from the magic pen at your magic fingertips. YAY! A good poet deserves a long comment. I will stop right about... now.
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Great poem so true! ill be applauding this one!
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This is good!!! This is REALLY GOOD!!! I was drawn to this one by it's title. Very catchy. Beauty is within, and I love the way you sent a message with this write. WOW!!! I am ddeply impressed. Outstanding!!! Fantastic!!! Bravo!!! What else can I say? Simply brilliant. I'l be sure to applaud this one. Great write!!! I love it!!!
\q-pid\ -
nicely done
wow. you did an excellent job voicing your opinion about a subject that is generally not touched very often. this might be stupid to comment about, but i love this backround the colors seem cold and forbodding, very good choice. you did an amazing job on this piece. keep it up. you have talent...write your heart out -
Oh very very very nice, my nomicide detective, I wasn't aware u had this much talent! Keep up the good work this is excellent
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beautiful
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i love this poem because that is how i feel when i look into the mirror keep these good poems up! they relate to a lot of us.
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excellently brought out
Hey! it's a trully nice poem and one written with a special intension in it! It speaks of a person formerly with an inferiority complex but who now has a lot of confidence. It speaks out in a very well way that looks, in no way define a man. All that matters is his personality, his views, his thinking and all that lies hidden deep within him. One of the few poems that brings out the feelings within. Comparing with a reflection is the best way to bring out the person's real attitude. Looks just remain for a day or two but talents remain forever. Very well written! -
~jessica~
i loved it. great job its true. i like it alot. i wish i could be that creative.
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ok I applauded lol but no pressure lol
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wow amazing a teen guy with great poetic skills that's hott!
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Interesting
This poem was good, I liked how he went from hating himself to see himself through a new brighter perspective, i am not fond of super bright poems but i like how it starts out with like a really dark aura and brightens out in the end. -
Great statement voiced here. It is often not a persons appearance that that makes them crawl inside their shell, but their fear of how others may percieve them. I hope this reaches out to all those aflicted with this and helps them to regain some of that lost self-esteem.
Edited on Jun 07, 10:43 p.m. because 'typo'. -
Amazing
Very good. I personally have not gotten over my imperfections but maybe this poem will help me overcome that Thank you so much for sharing I'm extremely happy I read this. And Ganesh is right it needs a background for sure.
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Amazing...and I can relate. It's sick the way the media and others around us can influence our views of ourselves so much. A few lines of the rhyming seemed a little bit forced, but overall it was a wonderful piece.
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this poem is so true,
you have hit the nail on the head with this write.
great job.
you said it all,
you are beautiful.
you had to just believe,
a wonderful peom,
with even a more wonderful meaning.
i very much enjoyed this write of yours. -
nice job, i have always been a fan of mirrors, keep it up
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THIS IS SOOOOO GOOD! I LIKE THIS ONE ALOT..YOU DONT NEED TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE THING TELLS YOU THAT YOU HAVE AN UGLY FACE..GOD CREATED YOUR FACE THAT WAY FOR A REASON AND THERE ARE NO SUCH THING AS UGLY FACES..AND ALSO THAT FACE PF YOURS IS SOMETHING A WOMAN IN THE FUTURE WILL LOVE.
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this is soooo good!! i wish i could be that confidant about the way i look!
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This is a fantastic poem. It represents change, Chnge for the better. You make the reader pleased and hopeful. You make me feel that there's more than just a reflection. Its very true to me. You have my undivided attention and unconditional love and support. I hope to write like you
LOL [Lots Of Love]
Mel -
This is very true the only way you can accept the world out there on how they look at you begins with yourself. If a person has no love for themselves, then how will others look at them? Hehe, a person cannot shine unless if he is able to help himself shine ^^ I like how at the end of this poem you ended it with a good note Keep on writing!
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I really like this, especially the last stanza, it was excellent. The rhymes of this were subtle, and not to obvios, which made it flow better. Great job of course, and keep it up
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think a person's best friend is always on the mirror regardless of other's or your own perception...
unless others spoil or lower your self esteem to extreme levels...
good write though ... recreating or reinforcing self esteem... in plain words -
I SIMPLY LOVE THIS WRITE! PLEASE ADD A BACKGROUND TO IT! IT LOOKS SO PLAIN WITHOUT A BACKGROUND! PLEASE ADD ONE! A VERY GOOD POEM!
WARM REGARDS,
GANESH
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For the longest time I had a major self-image problem. I finally got to the point one day where I just said, to hell with what yall think, I love myself anyway . . . If I didn't know any better, I might think this piece was written about me . . . very nice work!
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very good
a very good write my freind and i hope you get many of the younger readers looking at this ,thank you for sharing this with us and keep up the good work
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This was a really good poem. It's getting to where I'm not even surprise. You are an awesome poet and I really enjoy reading your stuff. Always a good message behind it. Another good one, Dan.
~*~Lauren~*~ -
Xelgaroth~I happened upon your work because I was looking through the "newest" poems released and I'm glad that I found this particular piece. It's very well written and the message is so poignant and important to convey. Your reader is certainly able to feel the pain of the author in the beginning of your piece and I love how it ended with a strong and uplifting message. It's true that we are only what we see reflected back at us in our hearts and souls. I really enjoyed this read ~ Natasha
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wow this was a beautiful piece. i liked it very much. great job
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very good! i liked the rhyming and the ending was pretty good..
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this is great and true!!!! you did a great job the poem had an amazing flow and good rhymes i hope to see more of your work!!!!!
Kelsi
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