I was fifteen before I realized that no one could ever love me as much as I loved me

And a revelation of poetic, creative, fertile ideas were released inside of me

Never before seen

Because somewhere along the road of puberty and aging I ran into scrutiny and unhappiness

That took over my body like a sickness that took off it’s shoes and got comfortable in my being 

I was taught to despise the one thing that was truly mine 

Stuck in chains slung on me by the very community that built me

But 

We can’t surrender

Because one day, all you will have left is

You

and no I don’t mean the physical you

Your body isn’t you

I mean you

Your soul is you

The way your face lightens up when your favorite song comes on

The way your bright eyes go wild when you’re excited

Or how your soul radiates like the sun onto the lives around you

Because you’re worth every thought you think and sometimes flowers have to grow

even when no one is there to water them

So please be in love with your life

Love your freckles,

Stretch marks,

Bruises, 

and birthmarks

Because these things are evidence that you’re living

We need to stop romanticizing toxic mentalities and feelings

Remind each other that right now we’re all on the same planet

Doing our best to survive