in this house of mirrors look around you
all around you looks at you if you think

you are out of sight of stars remember
light itself is the mirror the stars

made you the stars own you the stars
constantly surveil you the sun

itself shines its light at you for hours
because it must know you will soon

sin though you never believed in God
the sun will whisper I am your sunshine

your only sunshine and every other
source of light will seem ninety-three

million miles away and in
no rush to reach you

(originally published in Flush Left, Winter 2023)