Stretch
These are not 'tiger stripes'.
I didn't 'earn them'.
I have no child to explain my scars.
I am not part of the motherhood.
Sisterhood, though -
There's a concept I understand.
Sisterhood has taught me
Not to be ashamed
That my body has stretched itself,
Grown so quickly;
Not to be ashamed
That some of these are teenage scars
Out of my control,
And some of them are twenties scars
Born of stress-fed feeding,
My body's way of saying
'Too much too soon'.
Sisterhood has shown
Kindness to be worth more
Than perfect skin;
Honesty to be worth more
Than a flat stomach;
Integrity to be worth more
Than bathing-suit perfection.
As my body has stretched
So has my soul
It's just that
You can only see proof of one.