A Girl in a Spring
by Candace Simpson
Perfectly clear water reflects the greenery of the surrounding jungle.
A single girl stands waist deep in a spring
beaming at the camera.
The sun dances across her skin
and she glows golden brown.
The waterfall behind her head attempts to steal the spotlight.
Water sneaks through every crack in the stones as the spring refills itself.
Palm trees hang lazily above.
Geckos bask in the warmth that the day brings.
The nature that surrounds her is striking.
And so is she.
She is beautiful because of the stomach that she resents
for never being flat enough.
The stretch marks that peek out of the bathing suit she dreads wearing.
The freckles that discolor her face in the summer.
All the tiny things that she hates about her body
make up a person,
worthy of the unconditional love she grants everything around her.
How unfair of her
to hate the vessel that works constantly to keep her alive.
To despise the skin that protects her from danger,
but adore the bees and the stingers they leave behind.
To loathe the eyes that show her the beauty that the world holds,
but appreciate the deep red of a rose plucked from the earth.
To detest the feet that carry her from place to place but
worship the mud between her toes.
How can she find beauty in everything around her,
And fail to see it within herself.