Skin Beyond the Panorama July 21, 2020

Skin

skin

They will tell you 

Those are battle scars, 

Spots of a leopard, stripes of a tiger;

They will fill your head with rubbish

And tell you 

It is a sign of survival, 

Of life. And they will judge you

If you disagree and think it ugly. 

They will tell you it marks the days 

Of your life. They will tell you 

To be proud of the scars

And marks and blemishes. 

And you can’t question them, 

You can’t ask

Who gave them the right 

To tell you what to think 

Of your own body? And if you dare 

Dislike the very humanness of yourself 

And the canvas of skin

It is painted on, if you see yourself

Simply as a person

And not the warrior goddess 

Or tigress or survivor 

That they have collectively decided 

You have to be, 

They will be insane. 

But to you, 

Is it not just a little skin? 


Niangthianmuang S Ngaihte
Niangthianmuang S Ngaihte

Niangthianmuang writes riveting poetry and captivating short stories

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