Ma Bod Poem by Jacqui Thewless

The auld conjugal body jist went bust
so this one’s for me:
thighs thicker than they used to be, its waist
has billowed fit I dinna care.
All innocently I wear these flowing garments
under which the corpulence sits
like fat cells relaxing in a warm plasma bath.

My unmolested mouth smiles more. I laugh, and plod where
before I thinly skimmed the air like a long-legged gnat.
You could say that I shouldna lick the buttered toast
as though midnight bara’s a greasy kiss.
Wi’ flicks of my imaginary tail, sich a
qualm’s dismissed. Tho’ I might fancy a bit o’ fond fuss
from some ither kind o’ bos taurus...