starving for peace

she stares at the plate with trembling hands, A teenage girl with quiet demands. Her stomach growls, her body pleads, But shame is louder than her needs. A bite of bread, a guilty sigh, She chews it slow, begins to cry. The mirror whispers cruel and cold, “You’re not enough unless controlled.” She hides her hunger like a sin, Each calorie a war within. The world says “thin” is always best— But never sees her aching chest. She counts, she skips, she starts again, Then breaks in secret now and then. The food she craves, the shame she hates, Both sit beside her on her plates. She dreams of peace inside her skin, Of meals that don’t feel like a sin. Of laughing, full, without regret— A joy she hasn’t tasted yet. But for today, the war goes on, Between the girl and what feels wrong. Hungry for more than just a meal— She wants the right to simply feel. --- Let me know if you want a version that ends with healing or hope.