Laura Dame

instead pause. I pause to recognize the discomfort, and more importantly, what sort of feelings are underneath it. “It is okay to move slowly today,” I will repeat to myself, “Take your time.” I hear my best friend’s words echo throughout my now quieting mind, “you are the kind of person that takes care of yourself even when you do not want to.” I have found that by allowing myself to feel the fear, discomfort, and anger that arise in me or toward my body, it makes it far easier to then let myself move on. When I feel the body dysmorphia monsters move past, or at least shut up and sit down for a minute, I am then able to surround myself with the beautiful things that help me move past neutral and into a positive mindset. Soft meditation, patchouli candles, green tea, and if I’m lucky, even some avocado toast. These are the things that I do and set up to remind myself that I am okay, that I am worth loving, and that I can make today a good day, even when it begins to feel endlessly uphill.

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As the Crow Flies

Laura Dame

those birds their mono chromatic boxes larks who paint wilted flowers pretty and pretty flowers perfect somehow even the sour sounds sweet to them

I am sad of their perpetual glamorous tune lashing away at my hovel like I know what they’re about: this crow without murder ensnared in that net whistling ugly but folding hands to sing looking for leftover gold in fields she can’t dock only fly over, fly over, fly

sunshine weeps on to over-washed wings too tired to muster up fatigue—if she keeps beating (never ceasing) will

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