BY, MICHELLE MATTINGLY
I looked into the mirror,
wondered what I’d see.
Would I see a stranger,
looking back at me?
I searched there for some feature,
Some hidden clue to me.
If only I looked deep enough,
Surely I would see.
I’ve seen this picture many times,
These eyes, this smile, this nose.
I thought I knew which came from who,
Now I’m guessing those.
I look and look but see no sign,
Of answer there to ease my mind.
No voices from ancestors past
That whisper “Child, you’re ours at last.”
My heart has felt what eyes can’t see,
The missing, deeper part of me.
The family I have known and loved,
Family still, if not by blood.
Do I dare ask to seek, to find,
My family name, my tribe, my kind?
Through the ages has it been,
Where children seek a family friend.
To revive a story hidden well,
A boy or girl they would not tell.
This child they bore would never know,
Their sin or shame, just let it go…
I found the answer searched for,
The way was tense and rough.
I found my name, my tribe, my kind,
But a heart I couldn’t touch.
Now I see the mirror,
And know what I will find.
Remembering God created me,
With a special plan in mind.
He wanted me to see the eyes,
The smile the nose, the man.
To remind those features would not be
If it were not for his hand.
I thank Him for my life today,
With all it’s highs and lows.
I thank him for the mirror,
Whose reflection I now know.