Unflattering Mirror

Flash caught me off guard,

eyes squinting in mid-blink,

skin stretched too thin under harsh light,

all the lines and rough edges

too loud, too honest.

That face in the photo

is not the one I wanted,

a still trap of tiredness,

an image I’d rather forget.

I stare and see every crease,

weak smiles half-formed,

the awkward weight of a moment

that wasn’t mine to pose for.

The picture hangs heavy,

a mirror I didn’t ask for,

its sharp glare never softens,

and I turn away, unfinished,

still caught beneath the flash.