You’ve never been beautiful
by traditional standards

In high school the boys called out
Sneering against dented beige lockers 
All pubescent acne 
and patchy mustaches 
 
Here comes Thunder Thighs
     Boom 
          Boom 
                 Boom

In corduroy pants you can hear her a mile off

Careful girl you’re gonna rub a hole in those acidwashed jeans
 
Suffice it to say
You are underappreciated:
The highest crime in the tabloids
Bumps and lumps and jiggly bits
Grotesque markers of 
Personal neglect, perhaps 
A depraved weakness for bread
 
But I love you, in spite of this
And maybe a little because of it
Let’s be honest we’ve always been a bit contrary
 
You have carried me up mountains
In twenty-odd countries and closer to home
Carried the weight of my sorrows, ambitions, thirst for life 
Plus fifty pounds of backpack 
grimy from the train
 
You’ve taken the stairs two at a time
Rounded the bases in the beer leagues
Lifted the boxes of 17 moves
Supported me through heartbreaks
And that stepaerobics phase we don’t talk about 
Danced all night and then some
 
Squatted down for Big Conversations 
with Little People
 
You’ve stood resolute in long lines
Held yoga poses
Opened soft 
Welcoming lovers
And children
 
So, let the toes keep their pedicures
And peekaboo shoes
The sexy silhouette of a calf 
Embody feminine grace
Let hips flow with the music
A round, seductive swivel
And shoulders claim
The weight of the world
 
You may not crave the sunny exposure
Of swimsuits and glaring beaches
Or glory in short skirts
 
But you do not tremble 
In the face of oppression 
(Though perhaps occasionally 
in the face of lunges
or levitating over gas station toilets)
 
Like me, 
You do your best work when tested
Pushed against
Folded over
Coiled like a spring
A foundation of hidden strength
 
You move, the heart wakes
And I can conquer
You brace, strong and solid,
And I can endure

MJ Pullen

M.J. Pullen is a distracted writer and the mom of two boys in Roswell, Georgia, where she is absolutely late for something important right now. Her books include quirky romantic comedies and playful women's fiction. She blogs erratically with writing advice, random observations, and reflections on raising very loud kids and dogs. Join her Distracted Readers newsletter list for updates, free content, giveaways and more.