I once heard of a place called Eden.
A dreamland,
Paradise
I often wonder what it looks like
Because the pressure to be perfect is crushing
It weighs on our chests and slivers into our lungs
Like concrete, it settles there
That pressure that we put on ourselves
That pressure that we put on others
To be pretty
Thin
Sinless
Flawless
Why?
Humans are full of flaws, that should be embraced
They are what sets us apart
Embrace every freckle,
Every stretch mark,
Every out of place hair,
The rolls of your tummy,
The extra chub on your arms,
The chipped front tooth,
The one eyebrow that won’t cooperate.
I think these things to myself and wonder if I’ll ever find Eden
If I’ll ever find peace
And I think that as I shout to you
And shake the dust off your chest
Because I want so badly for you to find Eden too
So accept your imperfections
Those quirks
The things that make you unique, special, whole
That make you, you
I hope one day, you learn to love every inch of yourself
So that you might get to know what it feels like
To walk through Eden
And maybe, just maybe
We walk through it together.













Credits
Models:
Kasondra Williams @redeyedsouljah
Bridget Conlogue @opalkittyphotography
Maribel Tavares @bellzerbob
Marianna Gizzarelli @persephonic.witch
Photographer: Emma Parla-Aziz @skyclad_creations