“I Sat With My Body” Poem
As a lifelong reader and writer, I’ve always loved the written word. The feelings it could evoke. The way it could help me process through thoughts, emotions, and experiences that I couldn’t quite say aloud. And for years now I’ve wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and share my writing more widely in the hopes of encouraging others who may be going through something similar— to bring purpose from the pain.
In this poem, I share a personal look at my journey towards self-love and developing a healthier body image, exploring the societal pressure of perfectionism that women are under and how I learned to see my body as a resilient ally instead of an enemy.
I sat with my body
And told her I'm sorry
For all the times I hated how she looked.
Every roll and every wrinkle,
All the stretch marks and the freckles
Felt like proof I'd never be good enough.
All the years of stress and shame,
My body's cared for me and borne the pain,
And never once did I thank her for all she did.
So as I sat there with my body,
I told her that I would be trying
To love her the way she's always loved me.
I would start with being healthy
Instead of stressing about sizing,
And be proud of all that my body can do.
I would learn to heed her signals
That I need rest and that I'm able
To find balance even in the daily to-do's.
Some days my body cannot handle
Everything that I have scheduled.
And I'm so tired of pushing past my limits
Just to prove that I can do it,
As if it doesn't hurt me every time.
I'll try to give myself some grace
When I feel that I need space
And I'll try to give my body what she needs.
Maybe rest or food or water,
Or taking a long, hot shower,
But my body deserves all this and more.
For it took a long time to see
My body wasn't the enemy
But an ally taking friendly fire from me.
And when I sat there with my body,
I could see her scars so clearly,
But she told me not to linger in the past.
She said that bodies are resilient
With some love and some attention,
And it starts with recognizing
Just how much I'm truly worth.
Hi there! If we haven’t met yet, my name is Madilynn Szoboszlay. I’m the founder of Storied Souls Therapy and a licensed therapist in Texas, Arizona, and Montana. I’m so glad you’re here!
If this poem resonated with you, check out my Perfectionism & Self-Worth Therapy page to learn more about how I work with high-achieving and highly sensitive (HSP) women and teen girls to recover from perfectionism, grow in their self-worth, and feel safe in their own skin.