A Whole Separate Pattern

This poem looks at what seems to be the socially sanctioned commenting on children's bodies by adults, particularly those in positions of power, and through this lens considers the lasting effects of body-shaming. It investigates the confusing emotional landscape of the young outcast, and the complicity of adults in the alienation of children, even in spaces those children go to seek refuge from the alienation they face in their normal lives. It also attempts to navigate male body image and disordered eating.