Asana, let’s make a trade.
You give me your confidence
I’ll give you this half-curvy, half-flat body
a fair trade, don’t you think?
Let me feel what it’s like
for the ground to worship your feet
to not to care that your clothes have slipped
to reveal an insecurity that took hours to hide
to smile and not care of who sees my wayward teeth.
Let me start a conversation without
sorting my words with my tongue
take a compliment without sniffing for sarcasm
hear what others think of my opinions
without grabbing a shield for war.
My shoulders slouch
from all the ‘witty’ comebacks I hide behind
when someone mocks my elf ears.
I’ve learned ways to carry myself around people
to distract from the ugliness before them
even this face paint only amplifies my clownery.
Asana, please, give me your confidence
I need to know what it’s like
to breathe without bracing
just for a minute of my life.
