"The Man in the Glass"
“The Man in the Glass”
When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to a mirror and look at yourself,
And see what THAT man has to say
For it isn’t your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass;
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass
You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says that you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye
He’s the fellow to please, never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear up to the end,
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass
-Anonymous
There are no words for this poem. It makes me think about how many times a day I am criticizing someone else when I have my own faults. This poem doesn’t tell you what you want to hear necessarily. It is the blunt truth. It forces me to consider all the times that I have cheated myself. I need to start living so that I can open up my conscience and be proud. I need to be a better student, person, and friend. I am no where close to perfect. No one is. But there is a lot more I can do, and a lot more that I am capable of.
I am overwhelmed by the things that people have written in my yearbook. I don’t deserve them most times. Thank you all for being so kind to me.
I don’t know why I’m so emotional lately. I’ve just learned to read into things and take interest. If you just skipped reading the poem that I posted *as I often do* PLEASE go back and read it. You will be glad you did.
To my friends-how lucky I am to have you.
This summer will be good for me. I need some time to think…