Shining Star

“My identity is Zero

And I am no hero

I am a moral value of Society

A leading cause of anxiety

They count me as often as they take a breath

They value image more than their health

The little girl wants to be perfect like her

Unfortunately, she’ll never pull off that fake fur

This pointless task is good for nothing but stress

A fun, pleasing task to all the rest

A mind-numbing action that strips you bare

Why you were chosen? It isn’t fair

They all wish someone would understand

That anyone would lend a helping hand

The insurmountable size scares them half to death

Their lungs restrict with every breath

It’s a struggle to look in the mirror every day

It’s a struggle to keep the Demon at bay

They live their lives afraid one more will tip the scale

Their bodies cannot handle another fail

The fear of numbers is so strong

The more they have, the more they notice how wrong

It’s crazy to think they are scared of something they need

How they expect to get on by a shining noble steed

How love only comes in physical form, there is no inside

There’s no reason to have someone in whom to confide

To them beauty is all that matters, if you’re pretty you’ll succeed in life

It’s a competition to be the prettiest husband and wife

Size and beauty are as important as air

You tell them they shouldn’t, but all they do is care

They think they’ll be prettier if they are quite small

But truth be told, that isn’t what happens at all

130, 125, 119, 107, 95, the numbers all drop

They drop and drop until their heart finally stops

They still believe they’ll look better every time

They treat it as though being ‘ugly’ is a crime

In the end, if they survive, they’ll understand they can’t be more beautiful than they already are

They are already a bright shining star.”

Written by: Malin N. Hohenberger