Women, you gotta love yourselves

what do i see when i look in the mirror
what does it say to me
does it say
look at those hips
that curve and move and walk and work
look at those eyes
that sparkle and laugh
there are secrets that are spoken by the dilation of pupils
under heavy lidded eyes
such laughter that falls from my mouth
with lips that smile widely- cheeks that are round
my eyes disappear when i smile so wide,
the world is blinded
did you know that i have cut myself
my skin has a map
here i fell, here i was hit
here i did it myself
my breasts fall in their curving drooping way
there is no mystery i am a woman
i have nourished from these breasts
given comfort
caused great fear with their enormity
don’t they look nice, when i lean forward
my womanly ways revealed in my graceful movements
and my unthinking ways
there is a world to be discovered in the lines that cross my soft belly
stories of so much
untold
now i can tell you that i love them
every crease that marks my landscape
i am a woman
there is a story that i am supposed to hide
hide my humanity
hide my body
shave my legs and pluck my brows and wax my upper lip
suck it in and pull it flat
when all my body wants to do is relax and breathe
let my hair grow
let my curves flow
i am a woman after all
you can see it when i walk
you can hear it when i talk
it is unmistakable
this womanly
human thing that we all do

Original poem by Allyson Schmidt