Did you know
I have tiger stripes?
I'm actually a jungle cat
Waiting to pounce
Did you know
The lines around my hips have deepened
And so have the crinkles around my eyes when I smile
I have bruises up and down my legs
From my bedroom carpet
And wooden floors everytime I have fallen

On Que
I ask if I can go in front of you
and I flick across the floor
The same way I did inside my living room
But one misplaced toe
One thigh not turned out
And I find myself on the ground
I have done this
Over and over
I haven't fallen for so long
Muscle
I've built over years had kept me off the ground
And then it all came crashing down
Did you know?
No
Because you do not know me
You do not know the blood sweat and tears
You can not pick me apart
I am a work of art
But I was made by a 13 year old at three in the morning solely for self expression
I pick myself up and ask to go again
Because I know I can do better
Because I hold myself to an impossible standard above all others
I push myself
And my body betrays me
So I do it over and over as soon as I get home
Did you know
I stopped counting the stretch marks

Don't  worry about my legs looking 'bulky' as long as they support me
The day I found out i can only rely on myself
I did not cry
I built muscle
I gained tiger stripes.