Naked Bodies At The Beach
I’ve never been at the beach
With my shirt off.
Even when the sun is busy
Perching on my back.
I’ve never joined my friends
To jump from a mountain
Into the belly of the sea.
I’ve missed so much fun
My mom says.
“Learn to love yourself,”
My mom says.
“Go have fun! Let yourself go!”
Mom screams.
But my insecurities
Knows how to grab my shirt,
When I want to blend in
At the beach like penguins.
I’ve seen naked bodies
At the beach:
Black. White. Red. And
More.
But the color I wear
Is the color of insecurity
With stretch marks stretching
To every axis like lines
On a world map.
I pray to accept me.
Sniff freedom in the air,
As I join naked bodies at
The beach. And watch everyone
Read the lines of my story on
My naked black skin.
By Elijah Christopher
Elijah Christopher is a journalist at A New Touch Of Africa, is also a creative writer, a poet, and an IT enthusiast. He contributed to the collaborative poem written in celebration of Edwin Morgan Centenary, the first Glasgow poet laureate and Scottish national poet from the University of Glasgow. He loves meeting people and learning about new places, cultures, events, and lifestyles.
