Real Beauty

Strip me down
Strip me bare
Leave me naked
Defenceless to the glare
Of blinding condemnation
And righteous indignation

Leave me pale and baggy
Blinded by the light
Leave me with nothing to hide
Just an awkward sight

Of a body that happens to be imperfect
Sagging, flabby, weary and real
Lived in, sat in, loved and used,
Pushed around, battered, broken and abused.

Touch me,
Touch the skin
It'll never be perfect but it's real.
Consensus tells me to buy good looks
But why would I want what isn't mine?

I'm not defined by the body I have
Which is more than you can say,
Show me the people who think they have right
To define what the criteria is for beauty
And I'll show you people who think they have the power
To eugenesise perfection, dismiss life out of hand

Can you bear to look at me?
Naked, pale flesh?
This is me, this is real.
My blood. My body. My soul.