BODY IMAGE Poem: The Body Boundary, by Lawrence Bridges

This poem will end racism.

These bodies just happened to us

Every single one of our ancestors
reproduced successfully and consecutively
for three and a half billion years

You’re welcome to not comment on mine

This poem will end racism.

You know to never comment on a woman’s body?
It’s a matter of etiquette
Keep your body-comments to yourself

What if you stood in front of your identical twin?
What would you say?
What would you not say?

We need a Bill of Body Rights
which includes the Freedom from Comment

and government control

This poem will end racism

when we view people as individuals
and not as a member of a group

Personal autonomy is freedom
Personal autonomy is the ultimate value of privacy
Our bodies are the boundaries of our privacy

We are free to think
free to act
but there should be freedom from being acted upon

Treat people like you are responsible
for them

Don’t tell me what to do with my body
My body is my boundary
Respect it
Ennoble it

And a note to Old Believers: A Savior isn’t one color

Be polite
No comments about bodies
Don’t bring up race
Don’t bring up gender
Observe etiquette
and a new taboo

This poem will end racism.