Humpty's (Not so Great) Reflection

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. - Thoreau

Every night before bed.

Visions of inadequacy danced in her head.

She sat in front of it.

Posing the same question.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall."

"Who's the fairest of them all?"

Finally, after forty years.

The answer came.

"Not you."

"No matter what you do."

"You will have a great fall."

"From atop a high, wailing wall."

"With no emergency number to call."

"You will be scrambled into an omelet."

"On that, you can bet."

"No matter how loud you scream."

"Goodnight Irene."

"All the king's horses and all the king's men."

"Will push you again."

"That is all."

Well ...

... of all the unmitigated gall ...

Author's Note

"We are always paid for our suspicion by finding what we suspect." - Thoreau

Reviews

[Moonie]

This is such a creative way of looking at the topic. Ageing comes with self-loathing, especially of one's own looks. There are so many poets on here who choose good topics but end up making the poem too one dimensional and priggish. I feel you have successfully escaped that. This poem makes me feel sad, angered and frustrated, but the reprimands are spoken in such a rhythmical way, with such obscene and colorful language, they sound comical. And that's exactly how life is-- taken in bits, it's comical; but as a whole, it's one big tragedy.

[Pete]

insightful review. i really like your thoughts on the matter . thank you Moon's ... :)

read moreinsightful review. i really like your thoughts on the matter . thank you Moon's ... :)

p.s. great word - priggish

[JimSatire]

Oh what delight o find in this wonderous prose frought with humour

[John Alexander McFadyen]

An interesting mixing of the metaphors of nursery rhymes into a rather sombre piece.

[Pete]

why thank you kind sir ... :)

[Chris Shaw]

The lesson in this well crafted poem is don't keep looking in mirrors as you start to age. The mirror is no friend, but it doesn't lie to you. At least it's honest. Ageing is a process we all have to go through, no point in getting uptight about it. Hope all is well with you Pete. All good wishes.

Chris

[Pete]

nice thoughts on the matter and good advice for all Chris. thanks, hoping that all of your reflections are good ones ... :)

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Pete :)

[andrew mitchell]

If only Humpty was free range and not barn laid, he may of stayed on the wall but then he may have jumped not knowing is real mother. Great read Pete, excelled greatly out of the box on this one. Thoroughly enjoyed and there’s a lot going under the surface to ponder on. Brilliant says I.

[Pete]

thought you might like it - right in your bailiwick ... :)