Her Body was Not Wrong

She used to think this body was wrong.

That these thick thighs, this belly, these wide arms weren’t okay.  The way her back flows in layers she heard others curse as ‘back fat’.

She believed it hook, line and sinker.

Walked the world as though her body didn’t deserve the space it took up.

Until it got sick of being discounted, ignored, detested.

Her one body in this lifetime.

Her one skin, her two strong legs that walked her around the neighbourhood,

Her hands lifted the camera to her two bright eyes to see through.

 

She slowly started to unveil.

Baggy layers gave way to clothes that actually helped her perceive her size, her curvature with her own eyes, not with another’s.

She armed herself with that camera and set out to figure out how her body looked to her.

From different angles, from the ground up, from above.

Finding that for once, no one else’s voices of whether or not her body was worthy were invited to this space between her and the camera.

For once, finally, she could hear herself speak.

And that voice, shouted over for years by louder critics.

Had always been there.

Saying ‘I’ve loved you all along, just as you are”.

Your body was never wrong.

Now tell me, you get to choose the way you see yourself from now on.

Who’s eyes are you going to choose to see through?

Your own?

Or everyone else’s?

It’s yours to decide.