Poetry

237 followers – by Izzy Burns

237 Followers

By Izzy Burns

Days spent scrolling
Eyes glazed at the screen
‘Just 5 more minutes’ 
Another hour passes by

I’ve been loving this new detox tea, no bloating and I feel amazing!’
Inauthentic captions feign
‘You can trust me’, they whisper 
As their bank account $wells

Likes as a measure of worth +
Comments as a measure of connection –
A bottomless pit
Of insatiable hunger
Let us be like-gods

Tightening in my chest grows
Time ticks by
My finger starts to cramp
But I can’t stop, won’t stop
M U s t k No W M O R E

Show me the perfect existence
I am failing miserably at
Cellulite and money problems
Only 237 followers

A new species of ‘perfection’
Praised for aesthetically pleasing cells
Sitting all too comfortably
on velvet lined c l o u d s

Rituals of the daily post
Worshippers drop to their knees
Praising superficial highlight reels
That are the stuff of dreams, Please,
‘Double tap the heart’

What should I eat? What body shape is right?
Tell me what to do, oh mighty ones!

#Bodygoals #Fitspo #NotSponsored #Cleaneating
#Inspo #Unfiltered #NoMakeup #Loveyourself

The more I give 
The more I lose
I will never 
Be
Enough
(@likeforalike3000 started following you)

Stuck living on a platform of insincere ideals
I press my finger to the screen and
keep 

scrolling

down. 

(Only 238 followers)

237 followers by Izzy Burns
237 followers by Izzy Burns

About the author

Izzy Burns is a 20 year old student of the University of Melbourne. She is completing a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in philosophy and potentially minoring in creative writing! Izzy is a passionate advocate of human and animal rights, and a strong supporter of the body positive movement after going through an eating disorder, which is what this story is based on. She loves to write, draw, play sports, go for hikes, do yoga, read and sing. She works part-time as a nanny and fitness instructor, and so leads a very busy life!

Other work by Izzy Burns on Flashes:

Spillage

Show More

Flashes

Created in 2014, Flashes is a privately owned literary website. We publish short stories, non-fiction, flash fiction and poetry. Our goal is to give talented writers a platform to showcase their creativity, with an emphasis on original voice, innovative style and challenging plots.
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