Wear your scars

I looked at my scars
In the mirror today.
I didn’t cringe,
Or cry,
Or feel angry.

Even if I don’t see them,
I feel them;
As my finger slides across
The slight ridges
On my shoulder,
On my forearm.

They don’t haunt me.
They humble me.
Scars are part of my story,
My journey…
Where I have been
And where I am now.

I wear them proudly.
No creams or oils
Are needed.
Let them heal…
In time…

Most of us have scars –
Don’t we?
So why the fear
For them to be seen?

Is it because
We live in a society where
Skin colour shaming,
Body shaming
And scar shaming
Happens habitually?

That,
Dear one,
Is their shame,
Not yours.

Wear your scars.