Not Beautiful...



me 2010

I have never been the woman
Society would call "beautiful"
  I am far too plain for that word,
with my imperfect skin
   and my crooked smile.
   my breasts,
            (or my body,)
will never grace
       a magazine cover
  but they served a much higher purpose.
    They have fed my children
  comforted their tears,
     and many a weary heart.
  My stomach bears the scars
  and the war wounds of birth
    and my hips are testament
 to late night dinners and not
   enough time for a gym.
 My thighs betray me
    and refuse to comply
with the standards of the jean industry.
  but they are warm, and soft
 And safe enough for a nap,
   and nimble enough to wrap
   around a lover's waist.
  No, society would never
call me "beautiful"
   But their definition is far
too limited  to encompass
 everything I am...

©Natalie Simmons for Vivid X Photography  (Say Cheese)