BODY Image Poem: HER, by Kierstin Kievit

She tries.
Tries to lose weight, be normal,
To forget her past is poisoning her brain.

She yearns.
Yearns for the years she let pass by without a second thought,
The times she was happiest, for the people she took for granted.

She slips.
Slips from a healthy and sustainable self,
She slips back into the darkness calling for her.

She cries.
Cries for the light, from the pain,
For a world where nuclear warfare and bigotry aren’t the norm.

She hides.
Hides from the world, those she loves,
She even hides from herself.

She quits.
Quits hiding, slipping, crying, yearning,
Trying.

She is no longer in the dark.
She is going toward the light.