Buffer // Birth

 

face was born
from a broken mirror, this line on my
left cheek the fracture. when does this body become
spirit; untethered upon absence of framework. this morning, it has
split further. like a panther on boar rips hide from faces, this mirror is
the one honoured to humble me. what’s vanity if not a mirror that
greets me in the centre of a desert plain, presents life
as a distilled spring, an impermanent
shelter from drought
as a distilled spring. an impermanence
greets me in the centre of a desert; plain, present. life:
the one honoured to humble me. what’s vanity if not a mirror that
splits further like a panther on boar rips, hides from faces. this mirror is
spirit; untethered upon absence of framework. this morning, it has
left. check. the fracture went. this body does become.
from a broken mirror, this life on my
face was born

 

 

Francis-Xavier Mukiibi is a poet and spoken word performer of Ugandan heritage from North London. He is an alumnus of the Roundhouse Poetry Collective. He was selected as a BBC Words First finalist in 2020 and is a multi-UniSlam finalist.