Starving Myself to Stop the Whispers

Whispers and long stares
A scan from head to toe
Judgement passed for what my creator made
Oh creator, why did you make me so?

Be yourself, they say
You are fierce, they proclaim
Their shallow words fall upon my ears
Yet the whispers remain and grow ever so loud.

So, I start my hunger games
To starve myself to stop the whispers
I run a mile till I am frail
Lose the weight and change my ways
And yet the whispers persist.

Oh, look how weak I am, they say
Eat a little more, they say
I wonder what I have to do for them to stop
Oh creator, help me gain their acceptance?

I know not what they want from me
But I am done living in fear of their tongues
I will love what my creator has made me to be
I will love my being for all it is
The way my creator intended me to be.

Ansaf Adi Raja is a data privacy lawyer working for a consultancy firm in Singapore.

Featured image: Sigmund/Unsplash