Prologue:

 

Beauty was never something I set out to find;

It was simply thrust upon me.

Without regard to who I really am inside,

People just judge what they see,

Whatever they consider ugly or pretty

 

I wish I could just be plain

So I wouldn’t be treated as odd,

And I could experience the mundane

Of laughter and love without the facade,

Without the anger of a goddess and a god

 

Whatever is Within

 

My story starts with me, Psyche,

20 year-old instagram star.

Addicted to memes and coffee,

Maintaining a 3.5 GPA (so far),

And driving an expensive car.

 

You’d think romance would be aplenty

With my parents’ money and my looks,

But I guess guys are intimidated by beauty

‘Cause one glance at my calendar is all it took

To see that my only date is with my books

 

I just want people to care,

But they just give me hate

Or complain that it’s not fair

Or, as they've started to say as of late,

That next to me, Aphrodite isn’t great.

 

I know Aphrodite didn’t like that from the start

Because one day a note appeared,

Signed with a pretty pink arrow-pierced heart,

Saying that if about my family I cared,

I would do what it said— I was so scared.

 

I would be taken far away

To live in a lonely place

That lies along a lonely bay.

I will disappear without a trace,

And my file will become a cold case.

 

So far away I went

 To a secluded wood,

Expecting some sort of tent

Or a shack without food,

But there a mansion stood.

 

There were magnificent pillars on the porches

And scores of stained-glass windows.

Leading in was a line of torches;

They seemed to demand I follow

Into the house where my footsteps echo.

 

They had taken my phone

And all my personal, private possessions.

In that large house, I felt quite alone

Until another inhabitant arranged some talking sessions

And he became my new, overwhelming obsession

 

I was not able to see Eros

Or even be in the same room

But we talked longer that I do with most.

The respect in his voice speaks volumes,

And a truly deep connection begins to bloom.

 

I mentioned how much I missed my family,

And he told me of a computer tablet I could use

I called my sister and she exclaimed, “Psyche!”

She listened about Eros and I assured he didn’t abuse

She said I need to see him to know it’s not just another ruse

 

My time was up, and my sister said goodbye,

But her warning lingered in my mind.

When Eros asked me how it went, I search for a reply,

“Good, that you, you’ve been very kind.”

But inside I was asking how could I be so blind?

 

This little piece of doubt began to consume,

So I asked Eros where he slept

And resolved to sneak into his room.

Down the hall and to his door I crept.

As I thought about seeing him, my heart leapt.

 

But I tightly took ahold of my flashlight

And pushed open the detailed door

And gasped as my greedy eyes beheld the sight

Of Eros, more perfect than anything I’ve seen before.

Then my doubt was what I began to abhor

 

Then Eros was awakened by the light and sound.

He sat up and directed his gaze at mine.

My heart louder and louder began to pound.

With a voice that was even and divine

He said, “Get out. You have crossed the line.”

 

So I ran recklessly until I could not.

Then I sat on a soggy spot on the ground,

And everything became real as tears I fought.

I gave up and cried until I heard a sound.

A voice called out for me, and I turned around.

 

“How could you do this to my son?

You had beauty greater even than me,

And now you had better run

Because you will feel the wrath of Aphrodite

As I take away your looks and make you ugly!”

 

I got up as quickly as I could

But I was not fast enough

Something hit me as I fled through the wood

My hands went to feel my face- it was rough

And my skin had turned all leathery and tough

 

Just then I heard the voice of Eros

Yelling at his mother for her spite.

I felt dirty, disgusting, and gross.

He came over and I covered my face in fright.

When he tried to move my hands, I began to fight.

 

“Psyche,” Eros said, “You know that in me you can confide.”

The sound of his familiar voice calmed me down,

So I lowered my hands to my sides.

He looked into my eyes and my heart started to pound,

And I was glad it was him and that I was found.

 

Aphrodite screamed “Get away from that ugly thing!”

Eros turned to her in full furious silence.

Then Eros said, “This show you know nothing.

True love doesn’t care about appearance.”

“Fine!” said Aphrodite, “Then face the consequence!”

 

We were banished from her land

And sent out to survive on our own,

So we left the place hand in hand.

It was hard and we fought, but we were not alone.

We found out we were tough and had plenty of backbone. 

 

Epilogue

I was never outwardly beautiful again,

And many days, perfection was impossible,

But our success and love was within

Because when "beauty is within" is your principle,

Things begin to become a lot more simple.