Member Poem

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 a griefstricken 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.

Published by Poem-a-Day, Miss Gorilla and The HyperTexts

I wrote this poem after years of working with younger poets who struggled with self-image and sometimes wrote matter-of-factly about anorexia, bulimia, cutting, and other forms of self-harm.

Keywords/Tags: negative self-image, self-harm, cutting, anorexia, bulimia, suicide, depression, mirror