In Your Eyes My Own Reflection
When you step out from behind
a gossamer curtain, the shape
of your face, the line of your lips,
releases the light, curves into morning.
Pieces of me stick to whoever
gets too close, they tie you down,
rough as rope.
As you peel me away
I feel a shiver, notice a reflection
in a mirror – is it you, or is it me?
***
The lines from this poem come from several different poets. To read the original lines, visit read write poem’s collaborative poetry prompt, by Read Write Poem participant Holly, from Lost Kite.
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Published by Christine
Christine Swint’s poems have appeared in Calyx, Birmingham Poetry Review, Slant, a Journal of Poetry, Tampa Review, Heron Tree, Ekphrasis, and others. Her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best New Poets, and she has won first place prizes from the Georgia Poetry Society and Agnes Scott College. Her first collection, Swimming This, was published in 2015 by FutureCycle Press. She teaches first-year composition at a metro-Atlanta university and writes about poetry, art, hiking, and yoga at Balanced on the Edge, https://balancedonedge.blog
Twitter @christine_swint
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Balanced On the Edge 
I love how the final question comes from being peeled away — the whole movement of the poem, joining and separating, is wonderful.
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Thanks, Nathan. you always make me feel good about what I write, *smile*
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Yes, what Nathan said, this is lovely and the movement wonderfully done.
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• tight
• spare
• powerful
• quite fine
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This is beautiful. I love the (positive) tension of the moment and the sense of fragility.
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Christine: Really wonderful imagery. This poem feels hot and sticky. I love how cohesive this feels, considering how it was formed. I was astonished that my little poem I wrote from all the lines seemed to wind itself together cleanly, and it looks like yours did as well.
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Very vulnerable…well done! And yes, we do need to get together for a reading, or coffee and talk. You like coffee? tea?
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Blythe, I need to get over to your place to read!
Holly, yes, I love coffee and tea, as long as there are cookies too, *grin*
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Like the question at the end. I wonder…
ribbons of her thoughts
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I love the prompt, Holly! I’d like to be in your class.
Christine, this poem is excellent! My favorite stanza is the second, but it’s all very strong. Beautiful. I’d like to be in your class, too:)
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For me, this is a crisp look at one catching glimpse of their ‘other’ self, perhaps their ‘core’ self – often less understood than their personally perceived self.
Excellent piece… 😉
…rob
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Yes, it is yours, it is more. Just as is the sentiment of the poem: Lovely fragments make the whole.
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I just discovered your site I will be back.. I enjoyed it..:)))
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