An Ode to Cheshire Cat
Your Mischievous Majesty Cheshire Cat,
Pray tell me, what do you think of that:
Lately you are in my thoughts a lot—
Have you been following me or what?
When in the mornings at the mirror I stare
I search for myself, but I’m not there.
Am I a victim of identity theft?
Only a smile is all that’s left.
And though this smile is sort of mine
it morphs and twists like a tricky rhyme:
I see my mom, than my brother and
I glance again—and it’s my dad.
Your Shape-shifting Majesty Cheshire Cat,
Frankly, I try not to think of that,
But what if one day I forget how to smile?
Will I disappear, not just for a while,
But vanish completely? Don’t hide it, my friend:
Without the smile there’s nothing: THE END.
When in the mornings at the mirror I stare
I search for the smile. I’m glad it’s still there.
by Irena Pasvinter, first appeared in Mad Swirl
Editor’s Note: This lighthearted poem approaches aging and nostalgia from a place of both love and surprise, while holding at bay the darker emotions that nevertheless lurk beneath the surface.
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