Mirror

Slowly step aside

To stare slowly

Til my eyes see

Deeply into the hazel irises

I have examined time after time

Those circles darker than before

Those cheek bones still high

Eyebrows still furrowed

Future still bright

This one is dirtier

Have to move back to fit

But there’s little space to go

And I thought-

I thought it

Was small when I was

Now I’m tall

And I realize

It wasn’t bad at all

I look at that man

Who stands in front of me

His hands

Skin broken and old

Reminded of the ones I used to hold

Calluses permanent on palms

From all those batted balls

And hours of gripping

The knurling on the bars

Cuz someone called him small

So began the quest

To prove it to them all

But before

Socks slide on hardwood floors

Look to the side to see 

Someone looking back at me

He looks weak

Face covered with marks

So much you can barely see

Scars from when he was young

Or the freckles on his nose

Turn away

Go inside, close the door

One day it’ll be better

But for now, I’ll stay in more

So now when I look

In the mirror and see

You looking back at me

I know what you have been through

I know how it used to be

I can still see you, 3 feet tall

Looking up to me

And if I told you

This is what you’d be

You’d find it hard to believe

Because you just thought you were tiny

You just thought you were weak

You never really realized

How great you could be

You lacked the ability

To see yourself as that guy

And trust me, so did I.