Reflections

i practice smiles in the mirror,
each one a shape i mold with my fingers.
stretching my lips, rehearsed and hollow,
as if joy, were something i could put on.

i stare at my sticking out rib cage,
a cage indeed, beneath my skin.
counting bones like silent prayers,
measuring shame where light grows thin.

i wonder if i look normal,
if anyone can see the ache,
or if they only glimpse the surface,
and call the cracks a small mistake.

but still, i stand. still, i reflect
a girl of glass who hasn’t shattered yet.
and maybe normal’s just a myth
but i am real, i am here
i have a voice, and i exist.