A plunge,    into the wonder of it all
eyes wide open
(and then, shut again)
there is a survival  that thrives
but, only in seclusion.
Deception and evil,
and every form of illusion

(things, once clear..   made opaque
                      within the confusion)

         can exist  only here on earth
                  Of that  cold hard truth

                     there can be  no other
             logical  form of conclusion.

As I am Standing in front,
Of my full body mirror,
Mind filled with questions,
"Did my pecks get bigger?
I did 100 of each push up,
And maximum pull ups"
"Are my Abs more defined?
I did 90 minutes of;
Holds, planks, Twists, crunches,
I even did 30 minutes of Stretching and Yoga."

I stand there,
Immediately after doing,
All this exercise,
My Demons ask the questions,
Then pull apart my answers.
Not because they can,
Because we all know,
I let them.
But they attended,
The public school of media,
I'm ashamed of how I look.

So I'm checking.

Maybe one day,
I won't feel the need.

A concept of self
strengthens with wealth
The rules they do change
when our histories made
Is perception an image of taste

Where to begin when
the pendulum swings
For all of our sins
start from within
Can we see beyond
our own gates
Does right become
wrong on judgement day

How can it be? She whispered in silence.
That I have allowed my body, my temple, to be denied of the very things in existence that it needs to survive.

for anyone struggling with self-image

She has a comely form
and a smile that brightens her dorm . . .
but she’s grossly unthin
when seen from within;
soon an entire campus will mourn.

Yet she’d never once criticize
a friend for the size of her thighs.
Do unto others:
sisters and brothers?
Yes, but also ourselves, likewise.

My lovely wife Beth has struggled with an eating disorder for many years. I wrote her a poem titled "Is the Mirror Unkind" soon after meeting her. She was always much lovelier in my eyes than the reflection she saw in the mirror. And she was always much more generous with other people than she was with herself. The flip side of the golden rule is that we should treat ourselves as well as we would have others treat us! I hope anyone struggling with "self reflection" problems will be as generous to themselves as they are to others. And anyone who can sympathize with Beth can sympathize with themselves (hint, hint).

Keywords/Tags: Self Image, Mirror, Anorexia, Anorexic, Eating Disorder, Inferiority Complex, Low Self Esteem, Self Worth, Self Harm, Cutting, Anxiety, Depression, Hopelessness, Suicide