Another long one but worth the read I think.
You stand and face the mirror
And you magnify your flaws
You focus on the features
That are so uniquely yours
But their uniqueness doesn't matter
For they simply don't conform
To the criteria of beauty
They've convinced you is the norm
They make believe that beauty
Doesn't go beneath your skin
That you simply can't be pretty
If you have a crooked grin
They say your eyes can't be too small
Your nose can't be too big
That your lips must be just right
Not over full and not too thin
They say your ears must not stick out
Your hair can't be too wild
Only those with tick-box beauty
May be physically admired
But those obsessed by beauty
Are the ones who can't be free
Because they're limited by what
Somebody else says they should be
So next time you face the mirror
And you smile your crooked grin
Remember beauty's just a tower
That society's trapped you in
And you think you can't escape
Because you think there is no key
But you simply need to re-define
The walls of your beauty
by
Becky Hemlsey from her book
Talking to the Wild - The Bedtime Stories We Never Knew We Needed
Poem: The Tower
Preface: "What is a beautiful face without a beautiful soul?"
Page 27
Becky is wise beyond her years.
Becky Hemsley is an author I discovered last year and am so happy I did because when reading her poetry, I find myself saying, "Wow!" Becky lives in Leicestershire, UK, with her husband, two boys and their dog. She was formerly a primary school teacher for 15 years but now writes full-time and has written four collections. The first - entitled 'Talking to the Wild', which features the poem 'Breathe'. Also, another book now which is a follow on, 'What the Wild Replied. I treated myself to these two books. She also has two further regular collections, and one of loss and grief poetry, as well as three children's books, one of which is an illustrated version of 'Breathe', which I have also shared here, and a children's book of the poem 'Starlight'. She is drawn to, and moved by, nature and its consistencies with human emotion (this I can attest to). In her words, "I often think the phrase 'human nature' is a good one to describe my thought process when writing. I aim to make a difference with words by helping people realize they are not alone." She really is an amazing poet!
