The Mirror

By Desiree McCullough

Sex is good, 

but have you ever been to a burlesque class where 

if you stick with it long enough and 

stop thinking you are the most uncoordinated creature alive and  

stop thinking your body is inappropriate and 

stop thinking how (a person you don’t even like) would think your mid-life crisis hobby is (a word that screams ‘judgy’ with a streak of jealousy), 

and you finally arrive at the day you slip into that tear in reality  

(or that tear out of the confines of your mind) 

when you let  

your fingers glide across your skin over your hard nipples 

and know you’re not cold 

when you let 

your hips sway with the rhythm  

as if a banner signaling both dominion and surrender 

when you let 

your mouth delicately open to pant 

Not because you’re desperate for air but for sovereignty 

when you let 

your strong legs splay, resulting in a pussy peek 

on purpose 

when you let 

your hair flip with a seductive wink, bit lip, confidence ablaze 

like that first time you dominated someone who could literally compact your body and throw it away 

all of this 

without thinking  

How stupid is this? 

but instead 

you stare back at the glorious goddess in the mirror 

IN THE MIRROR 

that reflected in your youth an organism with wretched acne-prone skin and Gollum-defined features 

but now, NOW 

IN THE MIRROR 

with defiance and self-propagated euphoria  

adorned with a c-section scar and mild pectus excavatum 

you believe for the first time in your one, singular, bound-for-expiration life: 

I’m sublime, serrating artwork, 

I’d engorge on my succulent wetness if I could,

My swelling sensuality is a privilege to witness and rare to partake,

I throb for this delicious control and autonomy, 

but most of all, your mind imprints every pose with the sentiment: 

I’m not an escape; I’m the arrival… 

…??? 

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Desiree McCullough (she/her) is a sensual creative memoirist and burlesque artist, performing under the stage name 'Desi Hornez'. Her pieces have been published in Huffington Post, Moonflake Press, and other online publications. She lives with her family in Washington State. Find out more about her at www.desireemccullough.com or Instagram: @desi.hornez

'The Mirror' was first published in Seattle Erotic Art Festival's 2026 Literary Anthology 

Photo credit: @inmytreephotography