Perspective

Photo credit: Tabitha Turner

Courtesy of Unspash

I sit in the corner of your room 

longing for you to come to me 

because it is the best part of my day 

seeing your presence. 

but everyday 

when you come up to me 

you scream 

you sob 

and tears run down your face. 

your beautiful face. 

you incessantly compare yourself 

to all the women in your life 

but not one can compare to your beauty. 

you are no less than them 

like you think you are. 

you point out all your imperfections 

though I can only find the beauty in them. 

you say you wish to have skin 

as clear as crystal 

but the stretch marks on your thighs 

and the blemishes on your cheeks 

paint pictures no one has ever seen before. 

and the scars on your stomach 

that you hide so poorly 

tell stories no one has ever heard before. 

my favorites are the ones about your reckless days at the park

where jumping the farthest off the swings 

was all that mattered. 

you have the most brilliant figure 

I don’t know why 

you try to alter it 

pretending to look like someone you’re not 

in all the pictures 

you take of me. 

I can’t remember 

the last time I saw you smile. 

I lost count the past few years 

looking at you 

makes me lose track of time. 

but I miss it 

your smile. 

your happiness. 

I still watch you cry yourself to sleep 

and even on your restless nights 

I am completely

awe-struck. 

and despite all the distress you cause 

to both me 

and yourself 

I could still look at you all day 

but you still never want to look at me. 

you say you hate me 

yet I’ve done nothing but adore you. 

you just don’t know that 

you never will. 

I am in love with you 

and although I am shattered from the bottom 

frame cracked in every edge 

and paint faded 

every time you look at me 

I am repaired 

because I have never seen anyone 

as perfect 

as you. 

and everyday 

I wish 

I could just tell you that.