Goddess Body

I’m 42 and suddenly single

after 22 years with one man

I stand naked

in front of my full length

bathroom mirror

body of a goddess —

a fertility goddess

The next person who sees these curves

these stretchmarks

these breasts uneven from babies

who all preferred the right side

to the left

won’t be the father of those children

the man expected to love those imperfections

because they were made by what we created

together

The next person to touch this body

to love this body

will have to love the damage

caused by someone else

If the one who had this body perfect at 20 —

If the one who held my head as this body birthed

his babies —

If he couldn’t love it

in its perfection

who could love it now?

First Publication rights to Lothlorien Poetry Journal

Find more poetry by Jodie Baeyens at My Life in Coffee Spoons