You gaze into the mirror
in the morning,
skin blotchy and lined,
curly hair turned to frizz
dyed to its original blond.
You won’t fool anyone.
As you turn from the mirror,
a doppelganger
takes your place –
a straighter spine,
smoother skin, brighter smile,
slimmer waist, faster pace.
You gaze into the mirror
in the evening,
jarred by sags and bags,
the stoop, the droop.
Dry lips grin back at you,
the person who was fooled.
