Reflections

A superbly symbolic piece with striking mirror imagery and language. New slant on Plath. Especially liked your consideration of the psychological impact that reflection has on young girls.

Love the ending of this poem 'freed'

A strange child, wanting to escape her life and enter the mirror. I also like the reference to maths lessons.

A very intriguing and thought provoking poem.

Lindy

I loved the detachment in this, the way of looking at things she could have used eyes for, but only viewed reflected second hand as others would see it / her. Not being until she'd taught herself / practiced in the mirror, and still not actually going  anywhere. That her mother gave her the mirror is meaningful, too. Lovely piece.,

Exquisite. It transports you to another place...and leaves you wondering. I like how the poem seems to shift when the 'girl-mask moved more quickly than her eyes - it slipped' it feels like a loss of innocence. 

You seem to have captured something of that strange feeling of convalesence (salt on the arm!), when the mind (and body) is not working quite normally yet (slight temperature still, perhaps), and trying to come to terms with life again. The sight of her rather haggard self in the mirror not seeming right, and the dreaminess of imaginative stories intertwined with viewing things at odd angles through the mirror. Do you have memories of childhood illness to help you express some of the skewed feelings? Rhiannon

Oo. I'm on puppet legs now. This is utterly transporting; a modernist strangeness, freed. Beautiful.

Hi Helen

I like the way the mirror is a character in this - reflecting the various aspects of the child's life.  Beautifully done.

Jean

is the mirror inside or outside us? I hesitate. Interesting take. 

Maybe I am really stupid but I kept fancying her a mermaid - like the tail of the little mermaid (I have a six year old daughter though so I tend to think in fairy tales) or maybe that was obvious and I am also being dumb about that too.

either way it was a brilliant story, well written and engaging.

Maybe I am really stupid but I kept fancying her a mermaid - like the tail of the little mermaid (I have a six year old daughter though so I tend to think in fairy tales) or maybe that was obvious and I am also being dumb about that too.

either way it was a brilliant story, well written and engaging.

Maybe I am really stupid but I kept fancying her a mermaid - like the tail of the little mermaid (I have a six year old daughter though so I tend to think in fairy tales) or maybe that was obvious and I am also being dumb about that too.

either way it was a brilliant story, well written and engaging.

Maybe I am really stupid but I kept fancying her a mermaid - like the tail of the little mermaid (I have a six year old daughter though so I tend to think in fairy tales) or maybe that was obvious and I am also being dumb about that too.

either way it was a brilliant story, well written and engaging.

I'm really sorry - there is something wrong with my phone. It's being silly and posted my comment several times. It was a good poem though, I'm sure it deserved the repetition for emphasis.