Skinny

Accompanying Artwork By Lebanese Artist Nadine Gherez, A Dear Friend

In my line of vision,

Exposed ribs dance,

Skin stretches thin,

A last line of defense.

They seduce me,

Through pixels,

And show me what they eat in a day;

Avocados?

Me too.

Sun kissed,

Wanderlust,

Plant eating

Limbs; flail about,

Collecting virtual affection.

I can’t escape them,

They follow me to dinner.

Sometimes they whisper,

Through my mother’s envious eyes,

“Look how skinny she is”.

She was.

Cheekbones flash,

Abdomens flex,

Faces tune,

And the caption reads:

“Love your body!”

I can’t.

I’m too tired,

To rewire,

Every time I crawl,

From my screen to my mirror.

So,

They need to align.

Why won’t they align?