You cannot just honor your body,
On those rare “I am feeling good” days,
Your love for her cannot depend on,
How you think you look or what you weigh,
Like a child, she needs your attention,
Needs you to sit with however she feels,
Show her of life’s true abundance;
When born into her, that was the deal.
Listen to her soft-spoken language,
Even when hearing her is tough,
Even when her voice is a whisper,
While the mind loudly yells: “you’re not enough.”
Listen when her tiredness begs you,
To retreat into comfort and calm,
Even when the ego compels you,
To silence her words and drag on.
Listen to what she needs more of,
Whether nourishment for body or soul,
Do not ever fear her desires,
For a trustful surrender’s the goal.
If you punish her, hurt her or numb her,
Or you mistrust her whispered requests,
It is not self-control that she’s lacking,
But compassion of which you’re bereft,
Know that she’s never demanding,
She won’t force you to give her the time,
But tuning her out will divide you,
Into two parts: a body and mind,
And wherever you find there’s division,
Almost always there’ll ensue a war,
So rather than fighting against her,
Know it’s her that you’re here fighting for.
Artwork by ©2016 defectivebarbie
