The Misconception of Perfection

12 year old Haley flips through her favorite magazine

Transfixed by the colors

The words

And the smiling faces

She spots a picture

of a newborn puppy

Cuts it out

And tapes it to the wall

For no reason at all

Simply because it makes her happy

16 year old Haley flips through her favorite magazine

Barely glances at the words

The colors

Or the smiling faces

She skips past a picture

Of a newborn puppy

And stops finally at the page

Of a half naked body

The face of the figure is not shown

Only its size-zero waist

Washboard-abs

And bikini-clad breasts

Haley stares at the picture

Stares at it some more

Then looks down

At her soft happy tummy

Full from her dinner of roast beef

cheesy mashed potatoes

stuffing

And mom’s home cooked pie

Without another thought

Haley tears out the picture

And tapes it to her mirror

Where the puppy used to be

“One day I’ll look like this”

She says to herself

Then runs down the stairs

And out the door

And around the block

35 times

If only there was a way

To make Haley see

That perfection is not perfectly toned

Six-pack abs

Emphasized by perky

bikini clad breasts 

and a size-zero waist

But how is that possible

When everywhere Haley goes

All she sees are blaring reminders

From billboards, television, and magazine ads

That her soft happy tummy

simply is not good enough