The Man in the Glass

[point_of_axiom]

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.
Some people may think
you are a straight-shooting chum,
And call you a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass say 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 have passed your most dangerous,
difficult test,
If the man in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world
down your 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