You see me naked

Your eyes widen as

I don’t match the image

Concocted in your head

Whimsical of the feel

As your hand grazes

The stretch marks that

I fought hard to erase

My skin hangs low in

Places some to remind

Of the times when I

Wished to be thin

“Be gentle with me”

I say silently, almost

Ashamed to tell thee

Of the terrible things

Endured by my body

I starved for days to

Ensure that the tum

Was sucked well in

To hunger I was numb

I thirsted for days for

That lick of cheese

To make my heart

Happy I’d be down

On my knees but my

Head wouldn’t let it

Even get a piece as

My will to be ‘thin’

Went to extremes

They said I was fat

And I would laugh

Along too until I’d

Go home and cry

Alone in my room

And with every tear

I’d need comfort

Food and so I’d

Binge on dirt and

Feel guilt after

It wasn’t the way

I know that now

Don’t need to hear

It again but how do

You rid yourself of

The voice that says

“Lose the pounds,

It’s not okay to be round

The fat needs to be

Gone forever just delete!”

Playing in my head on

Repeat but what I

Think I wanna share

Here is – it’s my body

So my rules are fair

Don’t tell me even

On a dare that I’m an

Elephant just because

I enjoy my meals or

Don’t say I can sit on

You and break you

Because you don’t

Know how it feels

I will never hate on

Those who spoke

Words so unkind

But honey please

Know that they still

Play on my mind

Body image fragile

No stamina to

Walk even a mile

Don’t look at me

With sympathy

Because I have

Fought through

Just remember the

Next time you base

Your idea of a joke

On someone obese

They have hearts too