BODY IMAGE Poem: Hourglass Syndrome, by Morgan Wright

It probably started when I was eight,
when mom started buying Equate weight loss
shakes to replace after-school snacks, worrying
I’d outgrow the kids’ section before my friends.

I spent hours each day holding in my core,
feeding on compliments I received from grandparents
on my shrinking waist in my third-grade graduation dress.
My ribs sore, my center burning, I held my breath
during every second of the chorus reception.

My biggest insecurity is no longer numbers on tags,
my side profile, or stretch marks striping my breasts,
but the two asymmetrical flabs just below my ribs
which my doctor says are from years spent sucking in.

Author: poetryfest

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