Sweatpants or blue jeans?

A smile hiding fake dreams

A knife hidden in those perfect teeth

On which your parents spent so many

Hard hours of work's pennies

So that their precious little baby

May just be ready

To shatter the glass of that stupid little selfie

Behind which confidence can slip

So easily.

And so I turn it off.

 

Phone stuffed in backpack pocket,

My eyes dance around the hallway

As the late bell rings they do sway

Glaring at the sun

And the way it refuses to turn away

Reflecting off the windows never clear,

But dirty with expectations so dear.

And the sun fills me with glory

And I know that I don't need

No 1AM nose rings

Or drifting cigarette rings

To feel beautiful in this never ending

Whirlwind of expectations.

 

And so while you woke up before the sun's gleam,

To follow 16 magazine

And put on your best jeans

Just know that I'll be

Formulating vivid dreams

So that I have something on which to build my reality

When I fall short of your beauty expectations

In my baggy blue hand me down sweatpants.

 

So now when that lunch bell rings

 And we pass in the hallway,

And your glance happens my way

Away from your tightly packed posse

And you try not to stare

But my eyes, they do dare

You to look past my baggy blue hand me down sweatpants

And wisdom drawn eyes not closed,

But open to the crevices of the world drifting closer to me.

 

But then I'll hope that you won't see

My own demons hiding

Behind this makeup free,

Unruly, beautiful face

Which hides emotion more raw

Than that skin you rub so hard

To rid yourself of blemishes

So that maybe,

Just maybe,

You'll feel as beautiful as you're expected to be,

For after all,

We're only sexy ladies,

Unless we wear baggy blue hand me down sweatpants.

 

But that does not define you,

No that is not I

Who only lives for beauty

In other people's eyes.

But I challenge you,

To look into my own.

For my eyes,

They're grey

But they will never look away

From the light of tomorrow's day

That promises so much more

Than the rain clouding today.

So listen when I say:

We are more beautiful than our pixels,

More stunning than the sunniest day.