MAN IN THE GLASS

When you get what you want in your struggle for self,
And the world makes you king for a day.
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself,
See what that man has to say.
For it isn’t your father or mother or wife,
Whose judgment upon you must pass;
The fellow, whose verdict counts,
Is the one staring back from the glass.
Some people think that you are a straight shooting chum,
And call you a wonderful guy;
The man in the glass says, “You are only a bum”.
If you can’t look him in the eye,
He’s the fellow to please never mind the rest,
For he’s with you clear up to the end.
And you have passed your most difficult test,
If the man in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass;
But your final reward will be heartache and tears,
If you have cheated the man in the glass.


-Anonymous