affirmation

She finally put on that bathing suit, the soleil yellow
one with tags she’d been too afraid
to cut off (just in case). Peeking through the wild asian chestnut
hair she’d always used as cover—over her
arms (too flabby), framing shoulders (too slim) that curve
into the hips (too wide) and thighs
(too thick) and—
she looked up, expecting all this and more.

But today she rekindled that flame.
An acceptance
overdue, filling the sea-drowned caldera:
like chrysalised bug realising
Soft. Sweet.

How did you lose your way?
The Lycra hugs me, as if answering, chisoku;
the light tends to be dim in the rain.

Faint outlines tracing, dancing like calligraphy letters,
every arch angled just right. Even when
on the left, the sharpness of hipbones tilt
the way some planets spin in retrograde, on an axis,

balanced.