One of One

~in recognition of my body~

a war wages three decades deep.

steeped in shameful imperfection.

thighs as inseparable as grade school besties

seeking happiness between the gap.

a magnificent mind

reduced to bargaining for dessert.

the compounding interest of these beliefs

magnified across generations.

self love and compassion await on the other side of awareness.

gratitude for a resilient form

sometimes shrouded in fear of the unknown.

but an intentional step towards freedom nonetheless.

- - -

What if we loved our bodies the way we loved sunsets and house-trained puppies? What if we marveled at our abilities to walk, to see, to open doorknobs, to sing on-key, to create, to rationalize, to… ? What if we celebrated these remarkable vessels and loved them for their service?