such profound
disfigurements, I wonder
were you pretty as a child? all adults
have bumps and scars
but did friendly hands
chuck you beneath the chin
look into innocent eyes and see
only a happy baby?
struggling to catch breath against
the weight of too much meat
thin bones ache
I wonder
when you were young, with this
limp, these twisted bones
did loving voices coax you along
give you hope
that someday
everything would be all right?
