Here me now when I say

I am less rose and more pine

Bellied striped and new shaped

But I am strong

From long desperate nights

Of crawling out of holes

That I fell in

Or was born in

Or dug

myself

I am painted nails

Sometimes

But mostly chipped

All my teeth are breaking

Because I spent my first 30

Biting my tongue

Filling myself up with

what-ifs

Just to throw them up

And I was born with feelings

Much too big

I never could house them in

But damn it, I try

And sometimes I don’t

And I cry

And cry

And cry

One of the things I love about myself

And that list is small,

Babe.

But maybe it could be long enough

for you

And maybe

I could love you

right