This is my ode to the beauty industry-and to myself.

I'm awash in a beautiful pain
Burning off scars, freezing moles, lightening stretch marks
Peeling dead years away, scraping the old to reveal the new
Shaving, exfoliating, waxing, waiting, wishing, hoping, picking, praying
Blasting, zapping, extracting, super lasers eliminating blemishes and imperfections
Bleeding, tweezing, simply squeezing, needle-pricking, Botox-sticking
Plumping, pumping, curving, shaping, pinning, sucking, pulling, stapling
Fading, bleaching, smoothing, seeking,turning, tanning, shocking, preaching
One must be beautiful to live and live to be beautiful!
Words reverberating, screeching, shaking, beating
Halting progress of my mind's beauty to enhance the beauty of my eyes
Beautiful pain stinging, swirling, dancing, whirling with unrelenting twisting
Inhibiting growth of unwanted hair and wanted self-acceptance

My nightly rest has surrendered to routines of softening, moisturizing, and hydrating
However,
When I can stop inspecting, rejecting,
wallowing and swallowing, worrying and scurrying
With my supposed flaws and "imperfect" body
Forcing myself to be enveloped in the beauty industry's next big thing
I can begin a new beauty regimen of
Cleansing, Strengthening, Purifying, Loving, Cherishing, Rejuvenating, Relishing, Toning, Healing, and Enjoying
MYSELF.