‘Consume the mirror,
Consume the mirror,
Watch out it doesn’t cut you up inside’
Two poems by Janina Arndt.
Consume the Mirror
Consume the mirror
Consume the mirror
Watch out it doesn’t cut you up inside
Tear up your pride
Pierce through your skin
Conscience-stricken
Consume the ice
Consume the ice
Bearing your reflection
Bearing your rejection
Watch out it will freeze your heart
Kill off your fresh start
Shatter within
Tumbling
Consume the screen
Consume the screen
Un-pixel your protection
Virtual infection
Disjointing the compression
Watch out you will swallow it whole
Devour your soul
Don’t shut yourself up
Take it all in
To the last drop
And if you survive
You’ll know that you’ve led a good life
Between the Shores
Dangling feet
Falling heart
Breath skips my mouth
Remembered kiss
Between the shores is the abyss
Dizzying height
Falling hard
The rocks cut deep
Blood and bliss
Between the shores is the abyss
Tearing skin
Slipping hands
Sky hides the blue
Hit or miss
Between the shores is the abyss
Move to one
Side or the
Other
Burn and hiss
Between the flames of the abyss
Rise, fly up
Don’t dare to dream
Close your eyes
Hold on to this
Look down on the abyss
A wish
No truth
This only is
The rain is cold
Here’s the abyss
Not up
Nor down
No way but this
Between the shores is the abyss
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Janina Arndt studies English Literature in Durham and Heidelberg. Having directed several short films, she will be staging her first play with First Theatre Company this year. While usually writing prose and drama, poetry sometimes just happens to her and she likes to freeze the moment in it.