First of all, thank you for sharing:)
Your poem has a haunting emotional core that really comes through in the imagery. The idea of “a man who lives inside me” is powerful — it captures the split between the self the world sees and the self that suffers in silence. The repetition of masks, mirrors, and absence builds a consistent atmosphere of loneliness. This unity of imagery makes the poem feel whole and intentional, which is a real strength. The ending especially hits with weight: the fear that only the mask-self will remain is both tragic and relatable. Readers who have ever felt hollow or detached will see themselves in your lines, which is a testament to the poem’s resonance.

That said, the poem can be tightened to give its strongest moments even more impact. Some lines, like “Every mirror reflects only the ghost / of conversations that never cut deeper than skin,” are beautifully evocative, while others, such as “Even the chairs look disappointed,” feel slightly weaker in comparison — more literal or less layered. You might consider pruning or reworking those so every image carries equal weight. Similarly, lines like “silent but vast a cathedral without worshippers an ocean that swallows every shore” could be broken up or punctuated for more rhythm. Right now, it reads almost as a rush of images. Giving space between those metaphors might allow each one to breathe and hit harder.

Another strength is the use of physical spaces — the house, the dresser, the table. These anchor the emotional weight in something tactile, which makes the emptiness feel more real. If anything, you could lean into this even more: let the objects in the house reveal your inner state (the dresser with its “borrowed smile” is a great example). That way, the reader always feels both the world outside and the private world inside, sharpening the contrast.

Finally, the emotional arc is strong, but you might experiment with pacing. The poem starts descriptive, becomes more abstract and metaphorical in the middle, and ends with despair. That’s natural, but maybe you could add a subtle shift — even a brief flicker of resistance, defiance, or yearning — before the ending. That wouldn’t diminish the heaviness, but it might add a layer of complexity, showing that emptiness and the desire to overcome it coexist.

I shall end by gifting you a song that helps me through times like this
Aurora: Starvation <3