Title: Unbalanced
Fandom: Original Poetry
Characters: Author
Author: Hyperfocused
Rating: PG
Length: 337 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 125 - scales
Summary: The Author weighs in on a variety of scaly subjects

Unbalanced

Like most of us,
I have a love/hate relationship
With scales.
For various reasons,
They rarely balance right for me,
Or anyone.

No fun to stand on
When the equation that gives me shape
comes out as
N = now look how fat you are.
No one will want you,
Just stop eating already,
You cow."

Or for others,
N= Values of "No dinner? Don't you eat,
What are you, anorexic?"
lobbied around like Dodge-balls
In junior high gymnasiums
By kids who are clearly cooler than you.

And I don't like fish.
At least not the kind on a plate,
With half a lemon wrapped in gauze.

Scales you have to scrape,
and cut the bad parts out:
The head, those dead, tiny eyes.

To me, the only edible fish,
Are Swedish, Goldfish crackers,
And the little chocolate ones in Phish Food.

The "no swimming" exception
Is cured, or salted
and served with a shmear
At the deli, or maybe an Oneg

I'm fine with the scales of justice.
At least there's hope,
Their balance will finally favor the just,
And not just find favors for the favorites.

I'm a Libra.
I'm supposed to embody
The scale's role
Keeping everything in place
Its' rightful level.

It's the only sign that never was alive,
Not exactly passionless, but
Rarely explosive.

How well that fits me.
I do not live, the way I have longed
I have not loved. I never felt deserving.
I am the one friends come to
For a listening ear
Reassuring words
Steadfast support,
And sage advice.

Scales are fine in fantasy
Gilded, scalloped dragon wings,
A mermaid or merman's iridescent tail,
Musical notes I'll never quite reach.
The one at the doctor's office
Reflecting a number I'm happy to see.

Thoughts of scales,
Give me pause,
Make me wobbly, shaky and unsure
Of where I stand.

Like an acrophobic
Scared of scaling heights,
Too grounded to take flight.
I fit that label, too.
So much seems insurmountable,
Like finding my life's balance.