My feet are too big
Those great shoes would look like canoes.
I’m too fat
no one would hire me.
My memory sucks
I could never share my words.
I can’t.
I’m not good enough.
I’m not.
SCREAM!
Seize your power!
Seize your words!
Scream them out!
Drown out self-doubt!
You are!
You are!
You ARE!
You are worthy.
You are worth it.
You are the only you.
You are the
only
you.
We
need
you
to embrace the you
we believe in.
We believe.
We believe
in your voice:
SCREAM!
The shape of this idea
is new,
resolving conceptually around
a
round
never-ending
novelty
what the mirror reveals of me.
The shape of this idea
greets daily astonishment
as “You can be” turns out to be true.
Who knew?
You are bound tightly by mirrors
Gazing at yourself through refracted light
Every flaw magnified infinitely
Every hurt reflected back
slashing
slashing
slashing
you into fragile glass: you
naked Royal Doulton figurine
bare
broken
morose multiplicity in a million pieces of silver.
.
.
.
I want this to have a hopeful spin, but perhaps that will be part two tomorrow? It feels complete in thought, so I’ll stop.
You are amazing.
You are worthy of love.
You are valuable.
You have something to offer.
What are you doing?
Is it because
you can not bear your own weaknesses
that you are so angry
faced with others’ weakness?
In your fervent effort
to do what must be done,
do you not see your heart?
What are you afraid
we will see, in your weakness?
Vulnerability is beautiful.
Vulnerability expands
your universe.
Don’t be afraid
to be kind to yourself,
and kind to others.
We are all weak once
in a while.
“A man like Matthew never frees himself of the shadows completely, but perhaps it is necessary to embrace the darkness in order to love him.”
~Deb Harkness in Shadow of Night
.
.
He thinks that he is so hard to love
he polishes his prickles
scours his scowls
brushes those glowering brows
as if this gruff front will keep his heart whole,
and impervious to the heat of a warm embrace.
But she wears fireproof gloves,
confronts him with frankness,
and forces him to face his fears.
She wraps his arms around her and
shows him his image in the mirror of her love.
The dress is tight
and youthful.
You beam, when people say
“You look great!”
But from a distance
they observe
the bulges from
the botched cosmetic surgery,
and the fake parts glued here and there.
They sigh how sad it is
that you feel you need to try so hard
to be a plastic doll
instead of you.
True beauty is not
about artificial expectations
it’s about being confident
as you are
and celebrating
that your uniqueness
is beautiful.
At four hundred pounds
she filled every room
I am beautiful!
I am amazing!
I am entertaining!
I will help you succeed!
They didn’t question
her self-control
her ugly words
her petty cruelties
her avarice
They accepted every word
and made it true.
Shawn L. Bird 