They tell you that your thighs are too big
your stomach too soft
your arms too flabby
and your chin creases too much
they say ‘watch what you eat!’

They tell you that your hips are too visible
your legs too thin
they worry about your thin wrists
stare at your too flat chest
they say ‘you need to eat!’

and you stare in the mirror
watch your stomach
watch your thighs
watch your face
wondering why there’s nothing beautiful there
haunted by the words
the ‘thud thud thud’ coming out of a young boy’s mouth
the curled lips in disgust as you pass by
the ‘are you sure you’re not anorectic?’

miracle cures are advertised
on the face of magazines
to rid yourself of your flaws your imperfections
so that you’d become beautiful
because only beauty matters
the superficial layer of skin and fat
the color and texture
the smooth and scarred

no matter what there will be a flaw
something that’ll allow you
to pick yourself apart

their eyes wander over your body
you want to hide
your beauty not visible in their eyes