Slowly…she studies
the mirror.
Slowly...she studies
(herself)
in the mirror.
Suddenly she darts behind
the mirror
amazed to find
the image of her
“... gone! ”
Cries to herself
she’s lost herself.
Next day I superglue
two mirrors together
so that
now
she exists
which ever side she is!
She calls herself
“Me! ”
on this side
&
“Me! Me! ”
on the other.
Her mother wonders
why Tilly
(my little Alice)
only answers now
to the name
“Me! Me! ”
She explains
to her cat
this new found fact
of her two-ness.
He seems happy
with that
accepts whatever
she says.
He becomes
“Cat! Cat! ”
At bedtime
she cleverly insists
that Tilly stays up
& that “Me! Me! ”
goes to bed
“...’cos she’s tired
but Tilly’s not! ”
“In the morning
Tilly no want go
school! ”
“Me! Me! ” go!
She stupid…can’t talk!
School learn her
talk! ”
We have the suspicion
Tilly is smarter than
the two of us
put together
& is adept at
utilising her doppelganger...
sending it to do
the things Tilly
doesn’t want to do.
We envy her
her belief
wish that we
could do that too!
Dónall Dempsey
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/tilly-in-wonderland-for-lyn/
