Windows On Broadway Poem by Michael Pruchnicki

When I was a kid I was fascinated by mirrors
and by reflective panes of window glass
that I glanced at in passing

Conscious of my puny physique and pimples
I barely slowed my pace as I stole glances
that confirmed my inferiority

Doomed to be a bookworm, I thought,
and rightly so, even as my father tried
to get me to exercise

Sometime in my late teens I came
to realize that I could compete
with my more muscular companions

Sheer stubbornness and will enabled
me to outperform my former schoolmates
in the drudgery of hard physical labor

I still shun reflective windows and mirrors
whether it's walking down Broadway
or my own bathroom mirror!