We Are Mirrors
I want to change my reflection.
The curve of my nose
my off-center hairline
uneven features
I prefer to be seen from this angle.
I want to be seen like this
From every angle.
Your questions create scars that makeup will not mask
My mother's big eyes
My father’s standard oriental slant
I want to change my reflection.
Define me by where my appearance suggest that my family has been
And please, fail to grasp that I am born an American citizen
Continue to measure me based on stereotyped attributes
Remind me I fall short of pre-determined expectations held dear to you
Convince me that I’m wasting my time, because time well spent always leads to material gain
that my passion to serve others is a hobby and not a realistic lifestyle to maintain
Tell me that I need to change.
We are mirrors of our environment
Guilty in our innocence
As proud as our ignorance
Weakest in overconfidence
So don’t hear when I say
It’s altering what I see
When I look at me
You see, the problem with what’s right
is that it’s all based on hype
And though aware
we are not immune, despite.
I want to change my reflection.