Who invented
that impossible measure
that you hold your self against?
Who says
that you need to fall
within certain parameters
to be considered healthy, moral,
spiritual or successful?
Why should your beauty or worth
depend on someone else’s perception?
Because you agree, that’s why.
Nobody is forcing you.
You agree to place
the opinions of others
above your own.
So you can beat yourself up over it.
Oak Bluffs,
8/4
Unshackle the Measure
Who set the ruler, marked the line,
That dictates how your worth shall shine?
Whose standards, rules, and judgments bind,
The beauty of your heart and mind?
Why bend to fit in narrow space,
And let your spirit be a chase?
Whose opinions hold the might,
To dim your glow, to blur your light?
It’s not decree, nor cosmic law,
But your consent that forms the flaw,
You grant the power, the weight you give,
To measure your life and truly live.
Release the grip, unshackle the chain,
Let self-love be your refrain,
For in your essence, you’re complete,
A measure’s grasp, no longer meet.
The beating, bruising, self-inflicted pain,
Can’t thrive when self-compassion reigns,
Break free from judgment’s heavy sway,
Embrace your worth, let love hold sway.
Oak Bluffs,
8/4/2023