The feared Phrase, ‘I’m fat,’ shrouded in hatred and shame by females of all ages, explored in poetry form. Sadly, children are inheriting our body issues. Body Blow a poem by Myranda “I don’t ever want to be fat.” I can’t freeze as the words fall  out of my niece’s mouth.   We are driving in my car, talking about what she wants to be when she grows up (“a power ranger, a singer and dancer like Camila Cabello only better”)  “But not fat. I’m never going to be fat.” She’s five years old. Who taught her to hate, fear, the kind of body I inhabit so early on?  (I think of my mother, diligently counting food as points and not nourishment who can’t help following her comment about how delicious a meal  I want to make her sounds with another on how many  calories it must contain.)  (Who taught our mothers this?)  (I think of how many times shame has welled in my throat,  acidic, like now,  as I pause at a stop sign.)  I think about telling my niece about how the medication I take makes it hard to look healthy even when I have been making good choices and that my options are to try to  love myself  while fat or stop the medication and stop loving myself or even wanting to be alive and that these are her genes too, a choice she […]

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