i'm a poet, now you know it: happy #worldpoetryday

In honor of #worldpoetryday this March 21st of 2016, I've decided to dust off an old poem I wrote initially entitled "points of view" and write a companion piece entitled "reflection":

perception

(a.k.a. "points of  view")

i am who i am perceived to be,

i am who you perceive me to be,

your perception of me is who i am,

i perceive you to be who i am,

who i am is a perception of you,

          and you are the perception i would like to be.

i am not who you perceive me to be.

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reflection

i once told a man that i loved him like a statue.

           upon reflection, i realize that was not quite true

a mirror

i love(d?) him like a mirror

like narcissus, my perception of the reflection drew me in

nearly drew me under

a (funhouse) mirror in which to peer

an idealized, (un?)realized version of my self in which to gaze

take caution not to drown

i should have left town

his waters may be still
(not quite sure if they run deep)

"i wish i had a river to skate away on"

i wish i knew how to swim in a river whose current i have yet to properly gauge 

my reflection distorted, unsure of what is being reported, i found myself enraged

how many years of bad luck have i doomed myself to

                  by finding this mirror to be cracked

i'd like to tell myself to give approximately zero fucks

                  but i am unsure of whether or not i can manage a different tack