Adunni Begins Embracing Gravity

I have never thought of myself as desirable. 

My arms are too fat. 

My boobs are too droopy 

My stomach is too round.  

Everyday I have looked at my 

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

And everyday I have hated my

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round.  

How could anyone ever love me with my

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round.  

They need to go, my

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

Anyway one day, I saw her with her

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

And I stared hard at her

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

And she looked so perfect with her

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

How is she so confident about her

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

How is she so at peace with her

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

She loves them, her

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

I love her body, her

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

I want her body, her

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

 … I start to see her

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

Are my

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

I had to stare hard enough

And learn that they are perfect enough

So that I became confident and at peace enough

To love my

Arms that are too fat. 

Boobs that are too droopy 

Stomach that is too round. 

Enough. 

Artist: David Akinola

Adunni Writes To Her Aunty Ajoke

 Dear Aunty Ajoke, 

I saw this your picture buried in your old room in grandma’s house and I have not been able to stop looking at it. Each time I take my eyes away, I am drawn back in by everything. 

When I look at this photo of you, I think about so many things, but mostly I see a beauty in you that awakens the knowledge of the beauty of me. 

Aunty Ajoke, look at your breasts. They look just like my own. I can’t tell you aunty, how happy I am to see breasts like my own and marvel at their beauty. Aunty I have to tell you, for my whole life, I have thought I had ugly breasts. I wanted oranges, but I have watermelons, so I hated them. 

But looking at you now aunty, I see how wrong I have been about my breasts and I take so much pleasure in how tall you sit, like it is the most normal thing in the world. You sit and you let them respond to gravity as though that were the most natural thing in the world. 

Aunty Ajoke, you have inspired me. I mean, look also at your stomach. It is not flat like a pancake, just like my own too is not flat like a pancake. It is round and round and round, refusing to bend or curve to the hourglass shape. Wawu aunty! I never knew what I had till I saw it on you. 

Aunty see how your skin is just shining, as though you just sit down and rub ori on your body until it enters and transforms it to the supply looking flesh I see here. Me aunty, I have been using body shop and nothing nothing, shin shin, nada. I am not looking as you are looking here. 

Ha aunty. I am keeping this picture close to my heart. Because when I see your beauty, it reminds me of I own. I always forget that I am beautiful because I don’t look like how I am supposed to look like. Every day when I scroll down through the pictures, I just think haaaa, my body doesn’t look like this o. And I become very sad.

But today aunty, I have seen the only confirmation I will ever need of my beauty in yours. 

Me too, from now I will sit up straight and let my breasts enjoy gravity. I will let my tummy be and I will use ori to rub my body. 

Aunty, I don’t know what made you take this picture like this. I am surprised that you weren’t even scared grandma would find it. Anyway sha, here it is. I have made a copy for myself. I know you will not mind. You have always been my favourite aunty. 

Okay aunty, I have to go now. 

Love you lots, 

Your fave,  Adunni. 

Aunty Adunni Responds

My dearest Adunni, 

You are indeed my fave, forever and ever and ever. When I first saw this photo I was pleasantly surprised. I have been looking and looking and looking for it. I will tell you a secret. It was taken by your uncle when we were younger. I always used to tease him that I am very beautiful and that if he is not careful I will go and find a new man. So one day he took this picture of me and joked that I don’t need to remind him any longer, the picture will do just fine. 

I am so pleased that you have begun to see your body in a new light, but I have to say my dearest dear, that you must not rely on someone else to tell you how beautiful you are. You need to seek and find that beauty for yourself. 

The thing about life is that you are as beautiful as you believe you are. Your thoughts about yourself will affect the way you carry yourself, take care of yourself, love yourself and so on and so forth. So you must know, that because you look like someone or don’t look like someone else is not the reason you should be comfortable with yourself. 

Remember that I always tell you that your most important boss is you. Your most important critique is you. Your most important supporter is you. I want you to learn this as you grow older and hold it firmly in your left hand … don’t use it to eat. 

So, when you look at this picture, think of your aunty who was bold enough to love herself and remind others that she was worthy of that love. Let it be a reminder to you to cherish yourself and not wait for others to cherish you. 

I will send you some ori tomorrow. 

And then we can go to the spa this weekend. Self care is key my dearest. 

Love,

Your Fave

Aunty Ajoke