satan's mirror
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(apologies to hans christian anderson (snow queen))

satan broods 
upon his shining metal throne
preening, looking into a mirror
as large as the wall
admiring and gloating over
dominion and successes
can an inanimate object 
capture and hold power
can a mirror reflect 
emotions
shown in the glass
storing and amplifying
returning them to the user
energy building
increasing
feeding from each other
a circle of growing
strength and malice

while satan was away
the lesser demons
would look through the mirror
into the world of humans
as beautiful as something was
it would be reflected as hideous
as hideous as something was
it would be reflected as lovely
the demons amused themselves
looking at beautiful things
turned ugly by the distortion
of the mirror
ideals of human achievement
derided by the shrieking laughter
of foul and petty creatures

one day, the demons decided
to take the mirror 
to the highest mount
and take a look at God
they struggled up the steep slope
hunched over 
with the mirror on their backs
when they finally reached the top
they looked in the mirror 
and saw nothing
not even their reflections
or the sky or the mountain

this was not the great gleeful thing
that they had hoped for
angered by the expenditure
of wasted time and effort
they hurled the mirror down 
from the high mountain
where it splintered into a thousand pieces

satan was pissed

but hence the tales of satan's mirror


the pieces scattered
found and fashioned by unknowing men
into things of painful beauty 
a faceted crystal on a sceptre
an oblong mirror in a hall
a towering chandelier in an entry
the memory of events reflected
forever stored in the glass
and to those fated
the horror of revelation


a woman scorned by love 
saw the mirror in an antique shop
with the delicate intricate frame
looking in the glass
she saw herself 
free from pain
free from harm
yet also free from love 
and joy
looking at the worst possible thing
that could happen to her
she saw it 
as the best possible thing
she left the shop
taking the mirror
and daily withdrew 
more and more
into herself
which she knew was safe
where nobody was
nobody could ever hurt her again
she moved farther and farther away
farther and farther north
into the laplands
more and more inhospitable
colder and colder
where few animals dwelled
she constructed a beautiful ice palace
with sleek planes and facets
learning to master the winds
upon which she could ride
like white horses
or send them against intruders
like taloned owls
with great snowy horns
the elements accepted her 
as their mistress
peaceful upon her icy throne
admiring her static beauty
in the mirror
the queen of swords
of precise thought
and severe action
of metallic planes of ice
cutting endless white snow
faceted cold 
breathtaking
numbness


do you know of other tales?