How to Make a Mirror

Find a pool of water. It should be still. Maybe in a hidden grove somewhere. Remember a person or thing is always itself and not something else. Now think about a glass. A flat piece of glass. Consider mercury, a type of silvering. Certain things do not have a reflection. Carpets, for one. Dark hallways. A specific type of oil painting. But there are other things too. The soul itself, for instance. What is a soul? A type of diamond? An imaginary narrative? Ask yourself the following question: “Who is that in the mirror?” Do you have an answer? How old are you right now? Imagine the first mirrors. They were small. Probably made of copper. You couldn’t really see yourself in them. Ask yourself another question: “Have you ever been in love?” What did it feel like? Was it good? Bad? Let’s say it was bad. Mirrors can become tarnished. You have to polish them. Or maybe you don’t. Maybe polishing won’t work. Also, remember the fact that there are magic mirrors. Voices can speak to you from a mirror.  Usually, these voices are demons. What else? There are different types of mirrors. Hand-held. Two-way. Mirrors found in dreams. Have you ever looked at a mirror in your dream? Think about the “fiction of the ego.” Think about the fact that no matter what you say, you’re always leaving something out. When I was very young, my mother had a mirror in her bedroom. I would go and look into the mirror and pretend I was my mother.  Remember what Paul wrote about seeing through a glass darkly.  How often do you consider states of non-being? Do you suffer from what might be called “repetition compulsion?” It’s a very difficult thing. I know it is. When your mirror is finally finished, hang it in a hallway. Walk past it every day. Check your hair. The way your eyes look. Try not to think about anything more than that.