And feel the acid in your lungs as salvation for the ugliness You feel in an unwounded heart. Because you know you’re coming undone, don’t you? You’re unravelling and fraying and I want to sew you back together, Yet I know only you have the needle and thread. String doll, please, take a moment to look inside yourself And see that your number on a scale is not a judgment call, Don’t feel the guilt of being alive. Strive for little victories. Let your thighs hug Because your body is trying to show that it loves you when they touch. Count the days of hair regrowth, The way unstaggered breathing feels hot in your hands. Your worth is not held up with each measurement and calories counted, You’re blinded by button eyes and a brain that wants to eat you alive, But I promise you, I’m your best ally, no strings attached. Yes, I know, I understand that this meal doesn’t seem at all appetizing And you’d rather feel the emptiness roar like a train leaving a station From your groaning stomach. But you are dying, and that’s not a question. So, next time, when you ask your mother about diet pills and trivial beauty, Bite your tongue like the breakfast she makes you When you rise with the sun in the morning. Because your story of success is not when hungry is your success story
14
Silence By Justin White I am a pawn in a country that is taught to keep the silence. “Keep silent about your education,” they say, “At least you have it.” “Keep silent about the food you eat,” they say, “At least you have enough.” “Keep silent about everything you have,” they say, “At least you have something.” Do I? Last time I checked, my school was built on common core, The Killer of Imagination. Which has never given anyone anything, Except for headaches and mental breakdowns. And when I was younger, I was taught to not play with my food, So why are scientists allowed to? The government has created this illusion that I have everything I need, And I shouldn’t complain because I “have enough.” Such a dirty lie. “Have Enough” is a phrase used to block out the truth. Away to continue failed human progress, by shaping everyone the same, To make the rich richer! Compare this to a boy in a third-world country. He may wake up every morning, Kiss his mother on the cheek, Hug his father, And begin a 3-mile journey to his school. He doesn’t have breakfast, and will have no lunch. But he doesn’t care, his only hunger is to learn. Which he does. He learns everything he needs to succeed. No standardized tests, No pressure to conform, no majority over the individual. Simple. Just as it should be. He may then return home, Spotting his father working in the fields to get dinner. 15
