I never felt beautiful.
But in my eyes I see a fierce fire, deep burning,
Even while a curtain of timidity tries to hide it.
In my strong features and lines,
I see the blending of my Swedish and German ancestors
And the light of other lives before me.
Perhaps I am an echo of a Viking warrior-ess?
In my thin and strong frame,
I see generations of unknown women
Pulling through life with a tenacity I discover more each day.
I see a beauty that is different, not classic, perhaps not appealing,
But this body is like a tablet, carved upon by the ages,
And as I write my own story with it,
I find I am me,
Desperate to communicate love and acceptance, gentleness and compassion, with everything that is in me.