Two years ago
I asked my mother
for a bikini.
She said she wasn't comfortable
with me showing so much skin.
Two months later
my skinny little sister
laid on a towel
in a turquoise bikini.
I laid on a towel
in a long sleeve sun shirt
that my mother wouldn't let me take off.

One year ago
I asked my mother
for a bikini.
With reluctance
she gave me her
floral print bikini
from when she was my age.
Two months later
she took it back
claiming that she wasn't comfortable
with me showing so much skin.
So she gave it to my skinny little sister.

This year
I will not ask my mother
for a bikini.
I will buy one
and I don't care if my mother
says that she's not comfortable
with me showing so much skin.
I will show as much of my
imperfect skin
as I want.
Because my skinny little sister
isn't the only one
who has a bikini body.