ISO A Well-Behaved Body

Sometimes we feel frustrated not only with how our bodies look, but also with the things they do. Perfectionism, anxiety, and the desire for control are all close cousins of eating disorders and so these struggles are very familiar to my clients. This poem is for the brave people working to accept themselves inside and out.  

ISO A Well-Behaved Body

Tummies growl and groan and grumble 

Legs can fall or trip or stumble 

Noses sniff and snort and sneeze 

Stomachs clench and drop and quease 

Eyebrows jump and droop and twitch 

Skin can burn and rash and itch 

Eyes can squint and tear and blink

Brains can freeze as well as think 

Bones may break without a warning  

Breath might smell bad in the morning   

Throats can get inflamed and red 

Thoughts get stuck inside a head 

Tongues can get a canker sore 

Sleeping bodies sometimes snore 

Intestines can get constipated 

Or get ailments unrelated 

Amygdalas may act unbidden 

Cause of illness might stay hidden 

Whether it’s a pore or joint 

Our bodies sometimes disappoint 

They do things that we don’t expect 

They act in ways we can’t direct  

We might prefer to be the boss

But that would come at quite a cost 

Tracking every breath and beat

Controlling fluid, waste, and heat 

Directing every cell and vein 

Would surely bring more loss than gain 

So let your body do its thing 

And leave the rest up to the King 

You may not like its every act 

But love it till you give it back.