Texty: Meryn Cadell. Mirror Room.

The memory of the mirror
A place where you can examine yourself,
see how your arms are placed.
You can laugh, and watch how your incisors become noticeable,
or stand so close that your forehead rests on the glass
and your nose is like a planet orbiting your face.
You can do all this while she?s out of the room,
when you?re supposed to be pushing blocks around
Squares coloured red, yellow, blue
form shapes and zigzags when you place them side by side
? if you chose to do such a thing
You know you needn?t play with blocks
to see the pretty patterns ? the demonstration card
shows it quite clearly.
Better then to examine the patterns in your behaviour
in your own way which is to face yourself,
open your mouth wide, and glare in at your tonsils.
See how you look when you jump in the air;
how your hair goes up, up and then falls against your skull
The mirror is huge, and you can run the length of the room
and see yourself Go!
Unlike most mirrors, of course,
this one still sees you after you?re gone.
This one does have a memory.
It?s a trick.
? And just when you thought you were so smart.
and the rage they?re looking to find
is seeping into your head faster than
you can backtrack and try to change your mind