The Stranger Poem by Robert Mahoney

Have you ever looked in the mirror
Expecting to see yourself reflected in the glass
But a glossy-eyed surprise, a face you just don't recognize
Stands there mocking, staring back
Laughing as you ask yourself 'who the hell is that? '
The stranger says with a wicked grin,
'You are me and I am you, now don't be so surprised'

Well you never thought you'd be here
You swore you never would
A joint between your fingers
Or a needle in your skin
What happened here?
And what went wrong
What triggered your decay?
You've lost yourself
You can't be found
You've thrown yourself away

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself
Why you now can't stand the things you used to love
And you feign surprise, the voice that replies
While yours, is not your own
Laughing as you ask yourself 'what have I become? '
The stranger says with a wicked grin
'You are what I made you, now don't be so ashamed'

Well you never thought you'd be here
You swore you never would
A joint between your fingers
Or a needle in your skin
What happened here?
And what went wrong
What triggered your decay?
You've lost yourself
You can't be found
You've thrown yourself away

And it makes you sick, how you've lost it all
And you don't know who you are
You feel the old you scratching at the walls
But it almost seems too far
Well it's not too late to save yourself
You're not yet out of time
But you can't escape, there's not much left
And you do not know why

Well you never thought you'd be here
You swore you never would
A joint between your fingers
Or a needle in your skin
What happened here?
And what went wrong
What triggered your decay?
You've lost yourself
You can't be found
You've thrown yourself away

You've lost yourself
You can't be found
And that stranger's here to stay