~
Desert pond,
       idle sun.

Salt, shadow,
       and the revealing light of midday.

She traipses from
the safety of the car
        to the danger at the water's edge.

One hand shielding her eyes,
the other,
        her over-exposures.

Discomfited by a lack
         of self-confidence.

Loving the water,
         hating her thighs.
~

Should I grow my hair
Stop biting my nails
Lose a few pounds
Shave everywhere
Have a dainty nose
Clear skin
Lightly shaded eyes
Slimmer thighs

Should I change my speech
Never use profanity
Only speak when spoken to
Talk softly
Laugh lightly
Tone it down
Have a higher voice
Solemnly ever ramble

Must I change my entire self?

Goodness, no.

I know my worth and believe I am stunning in every single way.

Every.
Single.
Way.

It just makes sense to insist
to not be dismissed
by you on the silly premise
that acceptance of you requires
tolerance of intolerable disrespect.

i base my worth on likes and simple words
i know that this kind of thinking doesn't work
and that will never do.

How did my self worth
day to day
change to how useful I am

aside from my asides and internal divides
I stand in my prime, converging with the divine
plucking daisies in my backyard
doing backflips in my backyard
tired of trying to find gold in a scrapyard
denied due to pride and internal divides
he stands in his shame, colliding with the divine
doing abstract art and failing to put a finger on
the very thing converging all along
the growth not seen, he daydreams
but can never put it into action
stagnant dissatisfaction