I remember, six in the morning

My alarm clock was a warning,

A warning of what was to come,

A bunch of kids poking fun,

At my shoes, my face, my hair bun,

In middle school I was shunned,

Because my shoes had holes,

I wore the same clothes,

There were times when i felt like i had nothing, like i should fold.

But i took it, I took it all.

The lies, the rumors, the people who hate,

The boys who'd laugh and say that me, they'd never date.

Now, I'm a High school senior and what can I say?

I took the bad, and I made myself great.

My shoes had holes, now they shine,

Those boys want me now, and I don’t give them the time

I grew into my eyebrows, my lips, my nose,

My hair falls down my back and when i walk it flows.

I feel on top, and sometimes i wonder, what if I had given up?

What if I had let them shut me up?

I'd never feel this feeling,

This pride in my natural state of being.

At times I feel so full,

And I want to pass this to you,

For anybody or anyone who is going through,

Know that you are flawless just by being you.

Take what they say, and use it to improve you.

No, don't completely change you, embrace you.

Soon, the same people who teased you,

Will want to be you, 

Will be ashamed of ever hurting you, 

And one day you too, will look in the mirror,

And say wow, what happened to you?

You’re beautiful, your spirit is powerful.

Focus on the good things,

Stay humble, and don’t be resentful

And soon greatness you will become.

Just please, don't succumb.

I made it through a lot of pain,

But, I was always flawless,

It just took me time to see it for myself, with the hatred as loud as a chorus.

Look closely, and you'll see,

You’re no different from me.

Your flawless, it's there, look deeper, no deeper.

See?

Now breathe. 

It gets better, 

This is just a small winding river,

The rest of your life is the sea.