Face In The Mirror

Time passes by

And the years fade into the distance

I look into the mirror and see a young boy

Full of hope and potential

A few moments later I stare again at my reflection

And I see a young teenager

Enthusiastic and full of life

Tasting love for the first time

Preparing to step into adulthood

Ready to take on the responsibilities that adulthood brings

I stare again at the mirror

My past lives reflected back at me

I see a young adult

Taking his first steps in the world

Learning how to interact and build a future

Hoping to find a partner to share his life with

Again I look into the mirror

This time the adult is older

Just turned thirty

The stress lines are starting to appear

Hope has faded to cynicism

The relationships have all ended badly

A breakdown is just around the corner

As I look into the mirror

I see a sad young man on a mental ward

Trying to come to terms with the pressures of life

The figure looks lost and forlorn

Will he put the pieces back together again?

Another glance at the mirror

This time the figure is nearly forty

There is a distant look in his eyes

Dreaming of what might have been

There is an attitude of acceptance and resignation

Life is a hard battle and sometimes you lose

Just living out the remaining years

Another glance at the mirror

This time the figure appears much older

The adult is now an old man of sixty-five

There is a look of fear in his eyes

His family have passed on and he is all alone

Only distant relatives remain and they were never close

The fear is of what lies ahead

Pain and suffering and death

As I look again in the mirror

I see a grave and a gravestone

Only two or three people at the funeral service

A sad end to a life

And as he gasped his last breath

Fear was still close at hand

What faced him after death?

Would his soul face damnation

For wasting the gift of life?

The gates of heaven would be slammed shut in his face

A soul without a home too afraid to enter into hell

A soul endlessly searching for redemption but time has run out

A never-ending period of purgatory

A tormented soul without hope of redemption

As I look into the mirror I see my true self

Tears roll down my cheeks

I have seen my fate and it frightens me

Please guide me towards the path of salvation