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Mirror Stage by Misha Ponnuraju

Updated: Sep 2, 2021

A baby does not know she exists

on the surface of this green earth


until she finds a mirror.


The notion of “I” blooms within her

as she confronts the brown of her eyes,


until her plump arms rise and fall

in accordance to her own inner


choreography. A baby approaches herself,

presses forehead and lips and hands


against the glass, expecting

the touch of flesh, warmth.


A child does not know she exists

separately from the rest until


she confronts the blue that she

cannot swim in, eyes unlike hers,


until she notices that her skin

does not have the shine of pearl


as others do. She wants both pearl

and blue — to hold close what feels

soft in rough hands. A child

knows what it is to be wanted:


it is what she will leave

at the feet of a another


girl: wonder and kindness

and the inability to see


beyond the opaque of

blue and pearl. It looks so pretty


at school, and on the TV too.

A child approaches


the coveted pearl,

presses lips and hands against


the glass screen of the TV.

It is cold, as remembered.


A girl will begin to recognize

parts of herself in her beloved,


who reflects her own of marbled

skin. She will reach out


and touch the soft, wrinkled browns

of her beloved, taste herself in her folds,


allowing trimmed fingers to feel the tangles

of her beloved’s thick hair. How could she


have hated the sight of sprouting hairs,

signs of life and flesh — how could she


have disdained this color

which becomes honey in sunlight?


She will kiss this reflection

and it will feel so warm.


Mirror Stage by Misha Ponnuraju

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Sacrosanct is a community blog that amplifies the voices and art of LGBTQ2IA+ BIPOC. As a digital space for marginalized folks to self-define, self-actualize, and heal, Sacrosanct is firmly situated at the core of intersectionality while also providing mental health and community resources made for and by LGBTQ2IA+ BIPOC. To fund these LGBTQ2IA+ BIPOC artists for their contributions to the platform, consider leaving a donation here and follow Sacrosanct on Instagram and Facebook.

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