#PrideOnThePage Day 3: MIRROR

Two versions of the same gaze—filtered, raw, both real. One softened by blur and golden light, the other sharp, grounded in a lakeside stillness. A mirrored self in shifting tones.

[mirror | where the edge looks back]

you think I am smooth.  

you forget I was made for surveillancenot mercy(polished until you disappear)then you ask me to return you to yourself

        tell me—  

who taught you to flinchat your own eyes?

was itdumplingfatspotpigtoomuch(I remember the mouth trying to smileunder the pink)was it the hands that never struckyet rearranged your bodywith language?

you touched me once with mascaraI swallowed you in girlfaceyou choked on ityou kept goinguntil something cracked(not the mirror—you)

jay.

   this is where I begin again  

    in your name  

    in the echo that no longer mimics their hunger

and stillyou come wanting a smilebut this isn’t wishcraftI reflect.that’s all.and also—maybeI forgive, a little

I seethe jaw unlearning cautionthe brow holding quiet rage like architecturethe eyessearching for something more mischievous than survival

 it hasn’t arrived yet  

     (or maybe it has—  

       you just don’t recognize joy  

                 unless it hurts first)

 you want rogueness  

 I want return  

 you want a mouth that remembers delight  

 I want you to stop asking me to lie

so here
take this version
the one that doesn’t smile
the one that holds your name
like a half-open window
like breath
like something
yet to bloom
or vanish

Thank you for participating to everyone.

DIANA ADMIRE Kris Winters Jude (they/them) Lady Libertea Alison J! Leeron Heywood Tess McCarthy Rey Katz (they/them) Wendi Gordon Lily Pond Rey Somatics Robin Taylor (he/him)

Sunbeamdream

Lee Summers

Bo Ea

How to show your appreciation…

Consider clicking the heart ❤️ at the top or bottom of the post. It helps others discover this newsletter and brightens my day.

Wild Lion*esses Lookout is a working studio—a space for creative work, vision, and collaboration.

Here, I share poetry, photography, digital art, and design—alongside professional support in editing, ghostwriting, authenticity reads, and consulting. This is a grounded space shaped by lived experience, artistic skill, and care. If this work resonates, consider becoming a paid subscriber for $10/month. You can see what I offer paid subscribers and founding members on my About page

Prefer to give once?

You can leave a one-time donation or buy me a coffee and Monty’s cat food, or just to say “I see you.” Every bit is felt.

Your support keeps this space honest, independent, and alive.
Thank you. 💚