I stared into the mirror, tears streamed down my face,
The woman that I saw filled me with disgrace.
Her face was drawn and sallow; her eyes had lost their luster
A mere semblance of a smile was all that she could muster
“Look at me!’ I sobbed, “I’m a dove with a broken wing,
Never more to fly, no reason left to sing.”
And he came to me and said “Woman why do you cry?
You can heal your broken wing, if only you will try.
First and foremost, you must get rid of this player,
You must expose the source; you must strip away the layers.”
So I washed away all the makeup, the lipstick, and the rouge
And colored my hair back to its original hues
But it was not enough, he was not satisfied,
He said it was a start, but it was only the outside.
He told me to knock down the fortress in which I hid.
And though I felt great trepidation, I did as I was bid.
I chopped away at my fear, my prejudice, and my pride
Until at last all that remained was who I really am inside.
And as the last vestiges fell away, I heard him say to me
“Now, look again into the mirror and tell me what you see.”
So I looked, and what I saw filled me with surprise.
The woman gazing back at me I could barely recognize
Her face glowed with gentle radiance; her eyes were bright and bold,
Her smile sparkled pure; she was a vision to behold.
As I looked, I felt inside mea steadfast certainty,
Yet still, I could scarcely believe that lovely woman was me.
Then he whispered, “My beautiful Dove you’ve healed your broken wing
Fly you now to the mountaintops and lift your voice and sing.
Sing with sweet exuberance; dance with all your heart,
And never ever again doubt who you really are.”
~ Shannon Shirreff ~
