The Lady in Between

I look into the mirror and see only
despair.
Dark and musty, ready to pounce upon the first
hint of hope;
squashing, pinching, merciless.

I look deeper into the mirror and glimpse
hope.
Bright and cheery, trying to get a hand-hold in
the murky darkness;
grasping, clinging, persistent.

I see the reflection behind me and the image is
chaos.
Blurry, shifting, constantly changing the surrounding
landscape of emotion;
infiltrating, manipulating, distracting.

I find a quiet stillness reflected back in my own
soul.
Calm, matter-of-fact, resilient to the possibilities
of my world;
mother, wife, friend.