Less is More
By Laura Monaghan
This is the paradox that we are sold.
The one which has us bite our tongue,
shrink our bodies,
close our eyes,
and cross our fingers
waiting for a day that never comes.
A day where we aren’t too much.
Aren’t too fat or too hairy,
too loud or too intense.
Answer me this:
Since when did living in this world
come with our authenticity as the expense?
Instead, the same society that preaches
balanced health and wholesome living,
markets perfection in pill form.
Promising fat loss on the label
and omitting diet culture
from the fine print.
And so we’re spoon-fed scarcity,
because in our world,
the more scarce the object,
the greater its value.
But please tell me,
if less is more, then why do I feel
like my protruding ribs
are the bars of my jail cell?
If less is more, then why,
at my smallest, did I still feel
like I was taking up too much
S P A C E ?
However, if society can promote paradox
then perhaps, so can you and I.
And one inch at a time,
We can choose to reclaim back our space,
in a world that profits from us being small