Society's Rules

Some rules are meant to be broken.

Suck in your stomach

Push out your chest

Y'all know society's rules

Do I even have to tell you the rest?

More salads

Less meat

Y’all keep telling me 

What I can and can’t eat

Driving me crazy

Borderline insane

“Think of the waist size”

MY HUNGER CANNOT BE CONTAINED

I’m STARVING

Can’t y’all see?

I just wanna be able to eat

Eat what I want 

And not what society says

I’m tired of always filling up on bread

More hip-thrusts

More squats

Pump that butt

So guys can gawk

Suck your stomach back in

Oh, don’t let your belly free

You don’t want other people to see

Hidden by an oversized hoodie 

Just so you can breathe

Push-up bra constricting my lungs

Let your hair down

Don’t want people to think you’re a nun

That’s what it’s like that in the girl world,

Isn’t it?

You put on makeup to hide insecurities

You put more, show less of your impurities

How did it come to you that you’re not beautiful?

Did someone tell you you’re not?

Well, don’t listen to them

Because whether I can see you or not

You’re hot

It doesn’t matter your body type

Shape

Or color of your skin

I want y’all to go out there

Face the world with a grin

It’s your mind that says you’re beautiful

It’s your thoughts that say you’re hot

Don’t listen to society’s rules

Because starving yourself is not

F**k society's rules

Be everything they won’t

You’re perfect

Whether you believe it or don’t

But remember what I said

You’re perfect the way you are

Don’t try to hide it

Let free your scars

Author's Note

I had just hopped out of the shower and was looking at myself in the mirror, and this popped up in my head. Lemme know what y'all think. :)

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

It was bad enough when I was young, but now with social media, more and more women have hang ups about the way they look. It is all so shallow to focus on how someone looks. It's what's inside that counts. We have to keep reminding ourselves of that, over and over again. A topical write which many will relate to Nix. Learn to love your uniqueness, is what I say.

Chris

[Nix is typing...]

As always Chris, I appreciate your review so so much! Thanks!!

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

"F**k society's rules
Be everything they won’t
You’re perfect
Whether you believe it or don’t"
Yes, love yourself as you are Nix (love that name!). One can never please everyone. You are at such an impressionable age that you have to be selective about the types of influences you absorb, to block both body dysmorphia and shaming. Your words in this poem are jaunty and brave and your cadence and rhyme are spot-on. Your lines so effectively emphasize the inflated (!) superficiality of the 'acceptable beauty standards' that are imposed on women now, in a most refreshing and engaging style. Direct, unabashed and no holds barred message delivered well. You Go Girl! Awesome write...
P.S. Great photo accompaniment too!

[Nix is typing...]

Thank you, Miss Annette!! Nix is short for Phoenix, which is what I go by, but my real name is Princess (as stated in other works like, "Therapy Session" and "The Old Me") Thank you so much for your kind review!!

[Nix is typing...]

Oh, and thanks about the picture! I take up a bunch of time searching for a picture that fits well with a lot of my poems, some of them don't even have pictures, but when they do, I try to make it so they fit. :)

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

Nice job on all levels.:))

[Nix is typing...]

Thank you!!

[barleygirl]

Earlier this morning, I reviewed a poem of yours, saying there were too many generalities, & not enuf specifics to paint a lively word scenario in the reader's mind. This poem is the antidote to all that. This is the height of using sparkling fresh details to tell a story. This is exactly what I want to see more of from you! No more wallowing in generalized love slop! You are such a spunky person, it should be a crime for you to drown your talent in lovelorn platitudes. This is so relatable, not just on the level of being fat or not fat, healthy or not healthy -- but when you get old like me, you find out that sometimes you end up aging gracefully & sometimes it's a crap shoot, no matter how much broccoli you ate all those years! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Nix is typing...]

It's always a pleasure to see one of your reviews, Miss Margie! I love the fact that you could relate, I always try to make my poems relatable. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my poems and leaving a review!!

[spacelava]

Society has a fucked up way of telling us what's beautiful and what's not. It f***s with all of our brains and honestly, I am zero percent surprised when even the women often deemed the most beautiful in the world find themselves in a place where even they don't feel beautiful. As someone who suffered from eating disorders in the past and still struggles with mild body dysmorphia I feel your pain on a very personal level. You've written this as if you've read my mind. It tough being a woman. It's even tougher to be a teenage girl. But remember! If you ever want to lose weight do it for yourself! Not because of others. When you do it for yourself that's when you are at your happiest; that's when the end results are the most satisfying. You have a beautiful soul - don't put yourself down girl!

[Nix is typing...]

Thank you so much, Marija!!! Honestly though!!! Society puts so much pressure on us to be perfect, that some people just end up blowing their heads off because they feel they can't live up to the standard society has placed. Seeing your reviews makes me more than elated. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!!!! ❤️

[Kari Rakitan]

I have fantastic parents, but this is one point where I wish they had instilled more confidence in me. Then again, understanding what society expected of me probably helped to keep me out of trouble.

[Nix is typing...]

Thank you for your review!!

[Just Kim]

This is so true, I like how you presented this

[Nix is typing...]

Thanks again, Kim :3 I really appreciate this review!!