MIRROR

BY TRACY SCHLAPP

I am silver and exact.
I have no preconceptions.
Whatever I see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.
I am not cruel, only truthful‚
The Mirror, Sylvia Plath

Brains mirror to learn, to bond, to connect. Through early mimicry, our childhood senses drink up the human landscape and absorb the nutrients of culture, language, emotions, habits. When babies return their caregivers’ smiles, they bathe in the light of the response. The pump is primed to read the world for rewards. We play, read, study, explore trying on ideas and building on them, all the while looking to one another for reassurance. Am I on the right track?

The rewards grow exponentially. Psychology terms this mirroring as the chameleon effect. To my mind, the word chameleon implies that through imitation we camouflage and create safety through assimilation. As I think of the value of those early lessons gained in the repeated smile, I wonder what if mirroring acts in a different way? What if through mirroring we step into a better understanding of the other? Our brains are wired for connection; we have learned that this keeps us safe. And so perhaps the chameleon’s trick is that through adaption we gain a new viewpoint.

Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.

Our learning eventually turns inward, and we apply the mirror to ourselves. We expect a fair representation, like Plath’s faithful mirror; however, the image is cast in reverse and we encounter the first distortion. Is that me? Years of learning, adapting, and absorbing all that we have been told about the world and ourselves informs what we see. This reflection is distorted further, like looking into the surface of Plath’s lake, self-image ripples in the water. Can we really see ourselves clearly?

In this series of pieces, we have folks doing the difficult work of sorting through their actions and experiences, the traumas they have suffered and those they have inflicted. They are trying to better see themselves and they are willing to let themselves be seen.

Looking by Jacob Harper
Looking at you through the glass, the man in the mirror, outside looking in and every other pertinent thought or quote that brings that scrutiny upon inward reflection begs one point: Who am I and what do I see in me?

The Stranger’s Face by MDKS
The lonely man sits by himself in a shadowed corner. His life has become a twisted horror show, clouding his once bright eyes with defeat. He looks into a mirror, shocked by the specter he now sees.

Self Portrait by M. Reyes
Reflecting
images in the mirror
Drawing
attention to details
increase.

On the Verge of a Manifesto by Yeyin Chin
I often imagine what will be asked of those who knew me, and what will be answered by those same people. Then I remember that those asking the questions, those answering the questions, as well as those hearing book questions and answers will be dead in a century blink-of-an-eye, and their feelings with them.

The Sense of My Confinement by James Belis
Actions, hurtful words, negative influences that may
cause others who demand healing in our healing, unaware.
Doing the right thing may not always be the right thing.
Doing the wrong thing may not always be the wrong thing

I Am by Albert Wright,
I am better today:
I carry less shame,
I carry less guilt,
I carry less burden.

Across the state, we have been writing letters to our younger selves that we will bring into MacLaren Youth Facility in December (many of our men served time in juvenile facilities.) The project was initiated by Yeyin Chin, one of the Oregon State Penitentiary PonyXpress editors. This is the kick-off project for 2026 and has been supported by the Mervyn Sheldon Charitable Arts Trust. This project has elicited an enthusiastic response, and thoughtful work. We look forward to sharing it next year. | TDS