Talking to Me

I see the mirror and think
I do not appreciate
I do not hate
But I think hard and long
I pull my shirt tighter to see how big the tummy bump is
Squeeze my chin to see if I can make it look like it's double
I pinch, slap, zoom in

I pause now
I think again
I listen to it
Talk

Speak to me
My body tells me when it is feeling afraid

The breath sharpens

The heart beats fast

It tricks me into slowing down by walking

It speaks to me when I close my eyes

To just breathe

I can feel the massive space inside my body then

How the direction of the breath relaxes the shoulders

How it then becomes strong to walk out

To live another day

Something singes

Burns hard through my tract

The brows furrow

The mouth purses

Again I can almost hear my heart

The unsaid response

To sound waves carrying unpleasant tones reaching my ears

Is given by this physical body

Sharp pain flashes from the heart's centre

To everywhere outward

Strong enough to stop any mental function

Strong enough to negate the very space I take up

The back stoops

The eyes turn downwards

How much this body talks

How much this body supports

How much it is more than mere skin covering you

It is the very expression of you.