“All of us know, whether or not we are able to admit it, that mirrors
can only lie, that death by drowning is all that awaits one there. It is for
this reason that love is so desperately sought and so cunningly avoided.”
James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time, 1963
“In our church, the Devil had many faces, all of them one’s own. He was
not always evil, rarely was he frightening—he was more often subtle,
charming, cunning, and warm. . . In short, the Devil was that mirror
which could never be smashed.” James Baldwin, The Devil Finds Work
(1976).
“After all, the first thing you learn in this country if you’re black is a
form of silence. . . nobody saw Malcolm coming nobody saw Medgar
coming nobody saw Martin coming. These people who live in their
mirror don’t see what’s coming.” James Baldwin, April 24, 1986
“I needed you to please give my reflection a break from the face it’s
seeing now. Oh darling would you mind giving my reflection a break
from the pain it’s feeling now?” Rihanna, “Consideration” (featuring
SZA), 2016
from Let it Be BrokeFind more by Ed Pavlic at the library
Copyright © 2020 Ed Pavlic
Used with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Four Way Books.