For as long as
I can remember,
I have defined
myself by the
sum of
my flaws –
Round face.
Flabby stomach.
Scarred arms.
The parts of me
that I have mistaken
for my whole,
neglecting all of
the wonderful things
that dwell in the
truest depths of
my soul –
I know others feel
this way too,
convinced they are
sentenced to life
slightly bellow
adequacy –
But what if?
What if
You,
I,
We,
Were radical enough
to love ourselves?
What if we dared
to look past all
that we think
we are not,
And see who
we truly are?
Do you think we
could learn to
view ourselves
the way others do?
Because when I
look at you,
I do not see
a list of deficiencies,
no –
I see passion rooted
deeper than any
mistake.
I hear fervor
in the way
that you speak.
And I feel the
vitality running
through your veins.
Perhaps the light
that dwells in you,
in me,
shines brighter
than our own
eyes think
to see –
But I choose to
believe that we can
learn to look beyond
our doubts,
and notice what it is
about ourselves
that sets others
ablaze -