full circle

i retraced my steps today,
walked circles around my younger self.

here is the place where i first hugged my best friend;

the place where i now stand, five years later.

here is the me of fourteen years, 

as i look into the mirror and see her

superimposed over me. she's still there,

peeking out from behind my eyes

and over the rim of my glasses.

a face from before: all dark eyes and frizzed curls,

anxiety, naivete.

now, a face that betrays my mind a million times over;

angled jaw and red lipstick.

here is the memory; the inside-out deja vu;

as i lose my sense of direction,

and turn to find it again.

originally written on july 3, 2022. photo by me.