From the Collection – In The Narcissist’s Shadow
In the Rearview Mirror is a poetic autopsy of promises that were never meant to be kept. The lines “dreams of love you carefully portrayed” and “vows so finely spun and sold” point directly to future faking — a manipulative tactic where narcissists make grand, emotionally charged promises to gain control, only to withdraw or contradict them later.
Each bone within me whispered, “Run, beware!”
A silent choir pleading, “It’s a snare.”
Yet I dismissed their cries as paranoid, absurd,
And let your honeyed lies distort each word.
You chased me down each time I turned away,
With lovebombs set to make me bend and sway.
The voice within knew well the coming pain—
A predator disguised in lover’s name.
And now I see, reflected in the past,
The red flags waving fiercely from the mast.
The jest disguised as love, the cruel control,
Fragments of distrust you sowed within my soul.
How did I let you twist me to your will,
Ignoring signs that haunt my spirit still?
I walked into your trap, each step betrayed,
By dreams of love you carefully portrayed.
I turned away from truths your past foretold,
And clung to vows so finely spun and sold.
Though the beacon signaled, “Turn around!”
Yet deeper in the quicksand still I bound.
You used my truths, my hopes, my open hand,
To build the shackles only you had planned.
Now in the rearview mirror, clearer than before,
The signs glow crimson-red, truths I can’t ignore.
A warning carved in every step I tread,
Each flag, a scarlet scream, I left unread.
But hindsight will not let me live in shame—
This time, I’ll rise; I’ll reclaim my own name.
Narcissistic Trait Reflection
Future Faking
Trait Insight:
Future faking is when someone makes grand promises about the future — marriage, children, travel, healing — to gain your trust and emotional investment. But those promises are rarely kept. They’re not plans. They’re bait.
Awareness Reminder:
If their words paint a future that never arrives, if you’re always waiting for “someday,” pause. This trait often shows up when they use dreams to distract you from present harm. Protect yourself by watching what they do, not what they say. Your future deserves truth, not illusion.
Poetic Reflection:
You sold me a sunrise you never meant to wake for.
You built a home in my hope, then left it hollow.
But I’ve learned to read the blueprint now—
and I’m building without you.
Journal Prompt
What promises were made to you that never came true?
Write them down.
Then write the promises you now make to yourself.
*** You may journal in the Comments Section or keep your notes personal, but do take this chance to scribble a tiny bit of your pain away and open a window to healing.
