A woman sits,

naked,

ashamed;

eyes averted from a mirror.

The mirror that threatens

to tell.

Too much here,

too little there,

rough

where it should be otherwise,

soft

where it should be otherwise.

Too pale,

too dark,

too different.

Lines and bulges,

hair and lacking.

A stare too long,

a touch too hard,

a hand,

a person,

unwanted.

Decisions rethought,

regretted.

A life,

a moment

only once invited,

intrigued;

forever haunting,

forever intruding.

All imperfect,

all shame

in a reflection

with no mirror.

The reflection

seen by one,

known by no other,

always there,

always influencing.

Dear Eve

something was stolen from you.

Please remember

you are the origin of beauty,

you are beauty intrinsic.

Dear Eve

look into the mirror

and love.