There must be something in the water.

I’m not tall, with luscious long hair, beautiful skin, and no fat in sight.

I’m short, with regular brown hair, a few pimples, and some chubbiness on the side.

I see these girls and think “She must drink electrolytes”.

These girls come from rich families.

They have best friends, boyfriends, and enemies.

And then there’s me.

I’m from a wild and poor southern family

And I don’t have a best friend, I want a girlfriend, and I’m friends with everybody.

 

See, I didn’t grow up in an affluent neighborhood.

My home was a small house surrounded by old people.

My parents were potheads, one of which was a high school drop out.

My school was predominately black.

I colored the kids in my coloring book yellow and orange.

One day this girl asked me: “Why don’t you use brown?”

 

My parents thought I was Einstein when I finished reading my first book.

The kids at school didn’t agree.

According to them, I was fat, ugly, and creepy.

My mom told me once that kids don’t lie.

So that makes me wonder,

I am I still fat, ugly, and creepy?

 

I tried to like boys, I really did.

My crushes would exclaim “Oh my God, he’s so cute!”

All the while, I’d be thinking “But don’t you think I’m cute?”

My parents started talking about carpet munchers one day.

“Mom, what’s a carpet muncher”

“A bad person that God will send to hell.”

I was afraid to like anyone.

What if God could tell I don’t like boys?

It took me until high school to realize, I really don’t care.

 

No, I’m not perfect.

But that’s what’s so good.

I don’t want to be another pawn, another template, for what supposedly “good”.

I want to break the chains, I want to be happy.

I believe in my own morals, own religion, own diet, and love my family.

Send me to hell if that’s what happiness takes.

Today I will smile and do things my way.

I don’t care for what’s in the water.

Give me some sugar and kool-aid, and I’ll flavor my own drink.