Norhan Qasem, Contributor

You are ugly and unaesthetic

and it is a lie to say that

you are not simply pathetic.

The truth is that

beauty can’t be defined in different ways

it is nonsense to presume that

from what you choose to reveal,

from what you choose to hide,

we are considerate of how you feel.

You are simply a piece of meat

and it is absurd to believe that

you are more than flesh we can eat.

You can’t speak up for yourself at all

and I strongly doubt

you might say something useful over all.

You are a commodity

and it is foolish to think that

you have value and dignity.

There is no need for your existence,

and it would be ridiculous to believe

there are people out there who need your assistance.

You should just disappear,

don’t listen to anyone who says

you should always be close or near.

Your value is equivalent to absolutely nothing

and you should deliberately ignore people who say

You are worth something.

Your physique is what is truly essential

don’t let anyone tell you

your personality is far more influential.

Go ahead and cover your face with a cake

and don’t listen to those who lie and say

you should respect yourself, for you’re more beautiful without the bake.

You should dress to impress societal norms

and forget the idea that

you should have a sense of shame in different modest forms.

Enslave yourself to our styles and trends,

and you should never

surround yourself with positive supportive friends.

You should advocate for the advertising industry

for selling products through your physical appearance explicitly

and neglect anyone who says that

You should guard yourself with dignity

as well as cherishing your identity.

You are you, based on your apparent externality

and don’t let anyone tell you that

your beauty is based on your own ideology.

(read the poem in reverse)

This article was originally published in the October 11, 2019 issue.