BODY IMAGE Poem: Perfection, by Asha Parmar

please, peace, perfection

perfection, it’s what you need to be. it is what you need to have. you manage emotions and feel for people who can’t care to burden themselves with the feelings they fear.

this is perfection and it can be achieved here:

control,
contain,
consumed.

consumed by constant fear of the impending step out of line the imperfect unattractive life the ugly number that feels like the difference between satisfied and perfect

stop,
stare,
starve.

the deadly directions that sound like they derive from demons in your brain that fill your head with pain

and make you want to shrink

into something small into something that pushes you to the brink of skinny and happy.

try
cry
die

left feeling numb. no emotions to make you anxious anymore

no worry to stop you from starving until you collapse on the floor until you lose everyone that wanted to help

even though all your emotions have already been felt

enough for a lifetime

and it’s like they’ve been used up.

this is perfection.

the drained complexion and haunted reflection

this is perfection.