I already dislike myself in the mirror,

and maybe you do too, reader, so 

 

when conversation stalls at a party,

or elsewhere, don’t talk about 

weight, or calories, or carbs.

 

When you taste the dessert someone

has lovingly made for you, don’t ask 

“how many steps will it take to burn this off?”

 

Even if it’s rhetorical.

 

Let’s not make it cocktail conversation,

pass it off as banter. There are so many 

other things to talk about—

 

wild white irises growing in the forest

just beyond the front door, the four trees

whose cambia grafted together like skin

into one and married each other,

the surprising amount of courage

it takes to make the small jump 

onto the homemade rope 

swing across the creek.

 

Remember, the body also houses

your capacity for joy.

Author

  • Caitlin Coey

    Caitlin Coey is a queer writer. Her work focuses on gender-based violence, mental health, queer love, and the importance of friendship. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles. Her poetry has appeared in Shambles, The Roadrunner Review, Awakened Voices, and Sad Girls Club. Her debut poetry collection, Without the Cliff, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press (10.27.23).

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Caitlin Coey Hope Introspective Message to Self Poetry