Double Tap

by Shelby Thomas 

Scroll. Click. Scroll. Double tap.
To the women who have ever tripped and fallen into the mirage that social media can create—a reminder:
If you have ever felt less than
Please remember that
Love, there is a light in your eyes
& it is not coming from the reflection of that screen.
Instagram can be so mean
with its #lies about all that you are not.
Love, there is nothing wrong with your thighs
Or your eyes
Except that they are failing to see that you are a force.
The thumb you just used to double tap that photo of the fitness model with the body you envy
is the same thumb that once brushed a tear from beneath your little sister’s eye
when you helped her heal from heartbreak.
or that you held up proudly when your best friend needed encouragement
or that you dipped in brownie batter the first time you tried baking
or that you used to playfully pinch the cheek of a baby
         or the corner of a page from that riveting book that you couldn’t put down
         or the tush of your lover.
You are a whole person whose soul could never be defined or captured by an app.
God laughs at the idea—you are far too divine.
You are a beauty that the highest resolution couldn’t capture
With a light within that filters would only dim.
The song in your heart, your story
Is too great for any caption.
Love, put your hand over your heart.
         Double tap.
         Double tap.
         Double tap—Listen to that.