August 2020 – By Sarah

Clotted

We find ourselves in a spot
Whether we admit it or not

This pandemic has exposed the rot
Of our capitalist melting pot

Trying to gallop before we trot
Our economies a twisted knot

Hoping upon a vaccine’s our lot
Until then…stuck like a clot

From a young age,
the mirrors were there.
Captivated at first glance.
A small child, so unaware.

My reflection was playful
Happy and carefree.
Then, came teenage years.
The reflection changed you see.

An awkward teenager emerged.
Someone I barely knew.
Never knowing what to say,
Never knowing what to do.

I would ask the mirror for her advice,
But she never even replied.
Then adulthood swooped in.
Swiftly, taking me by surprise.

The mirror grew reassuring.
Into a person I knew well.
A smile on her lips
Sometimes hid the tears to quell.

But would anyone else
ever see? Ever notice?
Or only a secret between
the reflection and me.

Sometimes we need to look beneath.
Be a mirror for others as well.
Sadness can hide opportunity,
Just like a smile can mask hell.

Black birds dot the sky
A greyness sets in
Rain steadily falls
When did it begin?
I stare from the couch
And reach for the gin