Body

I have begun apologizing
to my body.
I owe my body more apologies
than my friends.
I have
a lot of friends
and only this one
body.

I have begun apologizing
to my body
and I think it’s
starting to believe me.

Believe I am sorry for the damage
I caused.

I’ve recently began
thanking my body.
I’ve begun to thank it
even when I’m mad
thank it
despite wishing we could do more together.
“My body,”
I say
“thank you for letting me march
for letting me stand
I remember the lower back pain
but thank you
for there only being
lower back pain.”

Today I wanted my body
to go up a mountain
but my body says,
“No.”

I have begun to listen
to my body.

I took it yesterday
and my body began to talk to me.
I’m proud I pulled over to listen.
I stretched my body
and began again
my body talked again
I stretched my body
and I began again.

We might not be able
to travel today
but thank you body
for yesterday.

I don’t think my body
believes in my gratitude.
Fair.
I’m still convincing myself
as well.

It thinks I’m only trying
to get things out of it.
I tell my body,
“I am.”

“I just want to take you places,
don’t you want to see the world
by the effort of your two feet?”

My body hesitates as
it remembers the damage I’ve done
to its two feet.

See
my body and I
are working on gaining
each other’s trust.

And I’m still trying
to trust my body.