mirrors mirroring mirrors

when i see you

seeing me

i am narcissus

drowning

and clawing

at anything

which includes your hands

holding mine together

and stopping them from

making the shadow of a butterfly

against the sun

that will leave me as icarus

father of the fallen

charmer of snakes

a man in heaven

without wings

and you

just like my hands

before the butterfly,

caterpillars pulling off

their own skin

for feasts and growths

of tumors

later in life

if they’re lucky

*

if you leave me

without me

i will not be i

for i will flip

me to we

and hope

no one will notice,

which i suppose

is the case

for you have

left me flipped

and without