Reflection

Poem by Yuliia Vereta

My reflection blinked before I did,

and in that instant,

the world seemed to hesitate,

as if the mirror had grown tired

of merely mimicking me.

There was a split-second rebellion,

a quiet defiance,

where I wondered which of us was real—

the one staring out,

or the one looking in.

I stepped closer, searching for answers

in the glass, but all I found was 

a version of myself that felt unfamiliar.

For years, it’s been content

to follow my every move, but today,

it blinked first, as if trying to show me

that I am not the only one watching.

What if my reflection is just 

waiting for the perfect moment

when it no longer has to follow

everything I do?