by Abeer Hoque
you let go beauty
long ago
well before the first scratch
the second bruise
the third open wound
fading into a flush of rust
then
a real brush with danger
leaving a peeling scar
the blow that unhinged
your jaw rehinged
never quite the same
your smile swerving
just left of centre
never mind
the slant
of your spine
your bones healed
didn’t they
you can move, yes
your clothes
patched and repatched
with stronger material
brighter colours
than the original can dream
no, beauty
was never a question
not even in the beginning
when you were all new
thin skin
never then
it’s only now
with someone else’s eyes
that you can look
at your red light blue sky body
and wonder
~ Abeer Hoque
Abeer Hoque is a Nigerian-born Bangladeshi American writer and photographer. She doesn’t question beauty either.Â
