Elijah's poem is a short, quiet moment in front of a mirror. The speaker looks at their reflection and sets two descriptions side by side: "short and curvy, not tall and boxy," "beautiful, not handsome," "feminine, not masculine." Each pair places a body the speaker sees against one they seem to have expected, or been told to expect. It isn't clear whether that expectation comes from the speaker or from other people, and the poem leaves that open.
The feeling is a mix of surprise and uncertainty. The words "beautiful" and "feminine" sound positive, yet the closing question, "is that really me?", suggests the speaker is still trying to take in what they see. It could be wonder, disbelief, or both. The mood is intimate and hushed, helped by the lowercase letters and plain, short lines. Repeating the question at the start and the end makes it feel like the speaker is stuck in that moment, staring and thinking, without a neat answer.