In the mirror, I observe a girl as plastic as the mug that holds my toothbrush.
I wipe off the dirt of the day, the paint of cosmetics;
My eyes are clear now of ash; my lips, free of oil.
  Vulnerable and bare, I step into the cold tile basin, still a little moist.

Someone had been with you today.

But I am here with you now.
Your touch has always been the same, unchanging;
You know me, my thoughts and the things I am capable of.
There is no secret I could ever hide from you.

That doesn't bother me.

You fall like silver tear drops; Pit Pat Pit Pat.
You fall with a grace no one could ever imitate.
You hold me, caress me,
You seep into every orifice, leaving nothing untouched.

But you are gentle.

I am comfortable with you. I can say everything I have ever wanted to say-
Without ever speaking. I know that you would never harm me.
Never let me drown in you; you, that have claimed the lives of so many.
You favour me.






I favour the girl.

The one who comes to me from day to day.
We are neither friends, nor lovers.
We share a bond, without secrets.
A silent understanding.

I know this girl.

She feels more naked and more vulnerable than she has ever been when she is with me.
She is unprotected, unable to shelter herself.
But What is there to hide? Why must you suppress yourself from the others-
When you can surrender yourself entirely to me?

I cannot make meaning of your actions, girl.

I wash away the filth, the filth of the people and places that have branded her.
I absolve her of her sins, not lingering on her flaws.
She is as perfect as she will ever be. Her body is delicate but her soul is strong.
And I smile when I know that I can give her one moment-

Where she stands on top of the world,
this woman.