By Morgan Lyons
Modern love
Is love modern?
Modern to love myself, modern to see myself
To run my hands over my body without inspection
Without search for perfection
Modern to hug myself
Support myself
Let myself
Rest, eat, move
No, not let
Encourage
Encouragement, not punishment
Not depreciation
Rest with a clear conscience, clear goals, clear boundaries
Humans can be still, be comfortable, be at ease without excuses
To the me on your period, you have nothing to prove
Sleep in, drink your tea, watch your comfort movie
You know the one
No need to be busy, to prove your worth
Fighting the patriarchy means surrendering to rest
To the me craving a snack
You are hungry
Not evil, not greedy, not naughty
Nourish your body, nourish your mind
Your soul
That voice in your head that tells you you couldn’t possibly be hungry?
Hear it, smile, and tell it to fuck off
Tell it you are here, you exist, you have taste buds
And a stomach
And bodyfat
You have a body which is devoted to you
A body which loves to move
Move out of freedom, not out of punishment
Move for the endorphins, the blood rush, the joy
Laugh out loud on the yoga mat
Move when you are ready, when you feel excited to, when it will bring you joy
To a younger me
Your love is expanding, growing, changing
Realising
Your love is history, your own history, formed over your years
Your love is your evolution, your experiences, your battles
Your terms
