i look at myself

in the mirror

in the dark

for long enough

that i wonder

if it is really me

or just another

dark object

in the room

—i stand still

for as long

as i can bear

thinking

i may no longer

be myself

but have become

something else

—until i can’t

take it any longer

and raise my arms

to see

in the mirror

the almost unidentified

dark object

do the same

—and so can

crawl back into bed

with less fear

of waking up

as something else