selflove
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uninspired sitting on the ledge
i said i wouldn't give up-- my pledge
i pledge to not let my emotions take control
doing so will take a toll
i give myself permission to not let people use me
In a world that often demands perfection
I choose to embrace my own reflection
For within me lies beauty and grace
A unique spirit that I proudly embrace
I appreciate the strength that lies within
In a world that often demands perfection
I choose to embrace my own reflection
For within me lies beauty and grace
A unique spirit that I proudly embrace
I appreciate the strength that lies within
In a world that often demands perfection
I choose to embrace my own reflection
For within me lies beauty and grace
A unique spirit that I proudly embrace
I appreciate the strength that lies within
And all that i wished for,
was to watch all the sunrises of my life with you.
But you;
You left before the sun rose,
Before the people woke,
Before our love bloomed.
is it because I don’t have blue eyes and blonde hair
or is it because I’m not interesting enough
what is it about me that keeps you away
because I have done everything I could
We want love but shy away from hurt
The best we can do these days is flirt
We send nudes and post selfies
Send confessions that cry “help me”
For we all just want to be loved
I drove home yesterday.
All the way from north to south.
I drove home yesterday.
Not a sound escaped my mouth.
I drove home yesterday.
I've learned to eat cold pizza
I've learned to eat mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, and I no longer eat all the individual parts of my salad separately
Something I never thought possible
Cover my self,
Because I am ashamed,
You sit and laugh at me,
Like I am to blame,
Now this is my image,
Not just for my body,
Don't need acceptance,
As you ignore me,
Can I stare at you?
It's just a question,
See,
Me and my friends,
Think you're precious,
Can you... Smile??
I just wanted to know..
The way you react,
is offputting,
and slow...
The way your lips scream,
as I shut the door,
and your skin tears,
I run,
I hide,
but no one is there,
Stay with me,
Help me,
Set me free,
Take me to a place,
If only you could see the pain inside
My thoughts, they'd make you think of suicide
My mind is trapped inside of a cage
Begging to be let out, but I'm scared to turn the page
In life there are moments where it can bring you in the need to scream your pain existence.
The fire in you the passion that generates you gets tested
The rug gets pulled from underneath and all you have left is yourself.
Sitting With You #4 She is often forgotten.Left to struggle on her own.Her cries are silent.Tears are endless.If only you could hear her.If only you could feel her.She's kind and gentle.Like a little child.She fights her way through each day.Stand
The man stood in front of his mirror
As if he were searching for more
Longing for someone to talk with
Share his greatest feats
And crushing downfalls
My love
in my blood
get out for I
Do not wish to have you
nor more, your psycopathic ways
the way you bore into me
i had hoped you would get lost at sea
but just like a siren
The stage
Where smoothly stuttering movements
Are their own brand of finesse,
Is the stage upon which I wish to waltz
For the rest of my
Audaciously authentic,
Dazzling days.
You ask me to change myself, constantly
You instruct me to turn into someone I'll never be
People can't accept me for my true self, actually
You thought I'd be sorry for being myself, really?
All the expectations and love for you
Shattered and annihilated in a moment or two
Building the castles in air, I was
Pursuing you, was my biggest loss
Deep in your self, I have lost mine
I am me and I wont change,
I know I am wierd and a little strange,
But I am the best in any way ,
Calling me cute wont make my day,
You hate me I dont care,
I wont even mind if you stare,
When I look into your eyes
I can see A version of you you keep locked away deep inside
Trapped in a tattered cage
amidst a storm of darkness spewing a violent rage
with no control it sways
Filled with joy until I’m hit with depression,
It smacks me back and forth like I am its obsession.
He comes into my room spending late nights,
Sitting next to a willow I recalled,
The carefree look that brawled,
Heavenly wind passing through my rolls,
Making me feel as happy as a calm at high tide;
That's the target I've been given
Watching the world go by through this dark depression
There's so much more to my mission
Refusal to be refuse
Conclude exuberance
Its the only for of self-enlightenment
I am compassionate
Not self-compassionate.
I am empathetic
Not self-empathetic.
I am loving
Not self-loving.
I am caring
Not self-caring.
I must take care of myself.
if you can't believe in yourself,
you can leave the task to me
when you're feeling worthless
know that you matter to me
because when i look at the world,
There was so much buried insider her that she thought she could ignore,
But really all it was doing was starting a war.
The things she hid and the things she denied really only made it worse.
Took me 18 years to relaize
my purpose is to inspire and pour into my community
Not talking just aisquith and eager
But Baltimore
When I look into the crowd i'll prolly
never see my family
Reflection
I saw you the other day,
You looked worse..
Did you eat ?
did you drink ?
take your pills?
You’re scaring me.
I’m letting go of all my regrets
One by one dropping them
Into the infinite stillness
Of a lake i find much more green than blue
plop plop plop
in*spi*ra*tion
what a silly little word for a
forever changing fact.
what is the point of being inspired
if the product of inspiration is
nothing but disappointment?
this.
Watching reflections chased down walkways
As it’s cold and rainy on a day like today
When normally the mood would be ruined
But somehow - the reflection turns up the spirit
Hi, I'm not that grest when it comes to poems, however I tried my best to do what
I can do.
For My Kind Star
Roses are red, Violents are blue
People say I'm kind but my siblings
Hi, I'm not that grest when it comes to poems, however I tried my best to do what
I can do.
For My Kind Star
Roses are red, Violents are blue
People say I'm kind but my siblings
Hiding from other children
Once a precious treasure
Glistening dumplings
Seafood soups
Marinated meats
Tempt breaks my heart,
As we are forced to part.
I abandon myself.
Dear God, I need a word, can you hear me?If I write these words do you think they will ever feel me?I can't relate to love, I think it fears me.
I let a lot of childhood trauma
haunt me.
Pain, it was apart of my DNA
I learned to use it for survival.
Confusion, I was use to the illusions in my
head.
I’m unique.
There is no one quite like me.
I’m a combination of memories,
Experiences,
Goals,
& dreams.
I’m not perfect,
I’m far from it.
But that’s okay.
i am not your piece of art
your terrible finger-painted work of crap
plastered on your fridge for your everyday viewing
i am not a piece of art for the whole world to see
to be displayed in a museum
This goes out to you ladies, for you young ones
So you felt something special, now your all grown
Lets see.. This is what happens, soon you'll find out how love plays out.
This goes out to you ladies, for you young ones
So you felt something special, now your all grown
Lets see.. This is what happens, soon you'll find out how love plays out.
Mirror
Look at yourself in the mirror today, tell yourself how beautiful you are, don't forget to smile because smiling is your medicine.
A delicate dawn
that hides behind the murky mist of the soul
confuse your look
and let us see only what disturbs us
while that little voice in the background asks us for mercy
She's got glossy black hair,
An hourglass figure,
Vibrant blue eyes
And thick velvet lips.
She is skinny and tall,
An envy to all,
But she
Is no more than a picture.
I am not evil
When you looked away for two minutes, I am still the same person I was 2 minutes ago.
I look in the mirror and see nothing
What I mean by nothing I mean everything, but happiness
I see scars on my wrists, hips, and thighs
I see my full rib cage and the numbers dropping down on the scale
It's as though it was just yesterday.
My life seemed to fall downhill.
Entering highschool things were great.
Until the first injury,
then the surgery,
followed by the loss of friends.
Warm salty tears rolled off of my cheek and melted,
The colors were blurred as my vision was hazed,
The cold hard floor sent chills through my back,
All was stuck in the glow of pain,
I can’t help but think about going back in time. To find myself in shaders of pain.
To see myself hate where i stand, and worship the people who make me hate myself.
How could I have fallen so deeply,
for a soul so phlegmatic now?
As you remain impervious
by the atrophy of our love,
He sits so close,
but the silence turns the inches into miles and
every slight noise causes an avalanche in my chest
as I wait for him to say something.
Anxious Reticence.
I have changed so much.
All I want to do is be quite,A place in nowhere where I want to hide.Let it be rainy, the weather is calmLet this place be the one where others can come.
Heart Breaking
Tear Inducing
My world stopped when you left
Sleepless Nights
Numb Feelings
I couldn’t pick myself back up
I wanted to forget
I wanted to stop existing
All together
Poetry is true
But what if I'm running circles around you
We're caught in our love letters and lost graces
We're lost in thought as we chase stars
mingling with each other's bodies and finding
Poetry is true
But what if I'm running circles around you
We're caught in our love letters and lost graces
We're lost in thought as we chase stars
mingling with each other's bodies and finding
Childhood has begun to fade; finding your purpose is the aim. The pieces of life spread apart like trinkets of a game. Glow until you grow or until growing causes glowing. Beginning higher education challenges everything you know.Questioning the p
The psychological feel of advancement
A portal to a new beginning
Using darkness to create and mold my light
Loving self is definitely a must do,
In this journey of success,
Learn to love yourself.Learn how to accept that you are wrong,
that you make mistakes,
to forgive yourself. Allow yourself to dream big,
Loving self is definitely a must do,
In this journey of success,
Learn to love yourself.Learn how to accept that you are wrong,
that you make mistakes,
to forgive yourself. Allow yourself to dream big,
Loving self is definitely a must do,
In this journey of success,
Learn to love yourself.Learn how to accept that you are wrong,
that you make mistakes,
to forgive yourself. Allow yourself to dream big,
you don’t really know me
you know what I put on Instagram, and what I tweet about on Twitter or what I hide behind these Snapchat filters.
but truthfully you don’t really know me
Growing up is tough.
Requires a lot of self-
Trust
Often times
You can misjudged
Situations
Where there is
Each start
is a chance
to look
into the depths
of one's self
in ways that we
don't ever see
in the day to day
lives that we live
only though watching
what we do
I used to be less
thought I wasn't enough
Thought I had to please everyone
Had to have a lot of friends
Not Motivated
Scared
soft spoken
Now I am
More than they thought I was
Choose to grow within the treacheous weather.
Choose to bloom throughout the rain and grab a sweater.
I cannot lie, it won't be easy.
But choose to be the purple flower, not the puny seedling.
I treasured you; you're all that I knew at one point in time.
I gave you all of me and then some, down to my last dime.
I am sitting on the rooftop,
my legs hanging freely off the edge.
This is my favorite place to go.
I’m sitting on top of the world,
I slid to the floor of this solitary place, surrounded
by hastily scribbled memos
on monochrome sheets of paper.
and cannot find a singular one addressed to my former self;
You are not a victim of a crime.
You are the murder to yourself.
Suicide is a sin; open your eyes, child.
It is bittersweet.
I miss taking you to eat
and I miss rubbing on your feet.
I miss having someone to trust
and to be vulnerable with and to lust
after..
You'd eat my broccoli and I'd eat your crust.
The tyranny of the sun is harsh,
Oppressing its subject
Creating laws which say you always have to smile
But smiling is hard
It's hard to when your friends all smile
Once upon a time in a land too close for comfort was a woman who had lived her whole entire life trying to please EVERYONE. She placed all her energy into making her parents, brother, kids, husband and friends happy.
At any given moment, I just might break
Fall to my knees, head in my hands kind of just might break
Fear in my eyes, regret on my mind kind of just might break
Why am I alive, how did I survive kind of just might break
The Black Sheep feels no appreciation
The Black Sheep feels no love
Looked down upon by her own flock
Mistreated by the ones who love her the most
Well Supposed to
From the time you are born to the moment you die,
You’re stuck inside of your body,
And the mere thought of that used to make me cry.
Why do I look like this?
Oh God, I hate myself,
I think my body knew you would not stay.
But my bones ached, my skin longed
For that warm place inside your arms.
There was no home like you.
You are not the painter but the canvas
As a favorite author has said
Painted by other individuals
Colors are chosen by emotions
Hurt makes the blues
i’m still searching far and wide
for someone who has always been beside me
you are here
but i don’t know your face yet
I thought you were a part of me
Thinking you belonged in here
Then I realized I was just letting you be
Not letting me be, tear after tear
I thought you were a part of me
You were perfect...too perfect,
Your warm smile sheltered your bitter words
Those deep blue eyes focused far beyond me
You only confirmed my greatest fear:
I’m sitting you down here today because we need to talk.
You know what? I take that back.
I need to talk. You need to listen.
You are strong.
Fearless.
Captivating.
When you wake up,
Hell is stirred by your
early morning yawns,
Rose petals wrap against each other in
their whispered secrets; too scared to reveal
the charms they own. Masks are not ever real.
Hello darling
How are you
I think it's time we left the zoo
Stop looking at them and focus on you
After all you are becoming brand new
Your pain needs to heal
And then you can feel
But for now,
Press start to begin
Fighter thrown into battle
Decked out in armor
It is just a game
It’s a game you want to win
Excited, you run
She's quiet, peaceful, and loved.
Not by others but by her creator and herself.
Telling you that I love you has gotten so difficult
Like how can I claim to love you but do you so wrongly?You’ve been there for everything and I mean everything.
We greeted the world together,
I am here now.
It took me a while, but i am here now.
I could've done it earlier, but i am here now.
It would've been easier doing it then, but i am here now.
So no need to pretend, or defend, why not then.
Am I tainted now? I’m asking out of curiosity.
My darling, sweet child of mine,
Don’t blame yourself for this act of atrocity.
A twisted man crossed the line,
Someday,
Someday, I will be a representation of my generation because I will stand up for those within it.
Someday, I will be loving to everyone who feels unloved.
that keep me dancing slowly and truthfully
falling deepest in my heart
melodies that feed my soul
praying for some tears in that happy moment
i let my body drown in that beautiful noise
I don't have any choice
Doves fly high in the sky
So you too have chosen to fly
With light bouncing off of your back
To be or not to be
an eye catching feather
an accomplishment
The one bees fly in the rain
My mentor was trappped in another world
in my tormentors
PTSD, Anxiety, Depression
a supression of myself
I've stuggled against it,
I've tried to deny them
It made me feel as though I didn't fit.
Where there's pain, there's Love.
Where there's Love there are two,
But with two, there's still you.
All that's left is just you,
And the pain that's in you.
What’s the meaning of life Does anyone truly knowIs it all about finding someone Or exploring it on your own
Poetry has taught me
That love comes
But that love also leaves
Poetry has taught me
To get excited about words
But that words do nothing to ease your loneliness
Poetry has taught me
Here lies the time of which it commenced
The days past as every sand
Of the hourglass
In a fell swoop of descending
If the cosmos were mine to mix
And the beauties thereof, mine to possess
when i couldn't turn to anyone
words put on paper let me feel
comfort in the simple words
she, he, they
a lover of poetry and people
I tell my self all the time that self love is the best love, yet I find it hard to give my self that love. I find myself always needing more love , it's like I can never get enough love.
I experimented with shrooms to uncover hidden truths
Or maybe lies that I have taken to heart.
It is okay to stray and to wander.
This path will not always be guided by light,
but it will live.
Poetry has taught me that there is nothing wrong with free expression of self
Poetry is not done for money and wealth
I kept walking, didn’t stop
until I saw the dull sun drop
then I ran through the plains
I where I sobbed out in the rain
panicked paranoia in the dark
it’s 2am.
for her
it’s the start of a bottomless pit.
writing
pushes her
into the
deepest recesses of her mind.
golden girl you are more
your skin
smoother
than the finest belgian chocolate
it glows like
Dear Men,
I can't even remember the first time I was catcalled as it happens so frequently
it now feels like a routine.
Like the stem of a sunflower
Swaying gently in the breeze
We push and pull
To the rhythm of life we know
Simply to grow
Ugly,
something everyone says to me.
As I’ve grown up
over the years,
it has made many comebacks.
The word, that’s been
said to me over and over again
has now made me stronger.
When will you start to notice the way your love makes others feel and how in need YOU are of that YOURSELF
the standard definition of perfect. having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be. the mixed meaning of perfect.
Because im Beautiful I will know my self worth
Because im Beautiful I won't care what they say
Because i'm Beautiful I don't have to call anyone else "ugly" to show I'm beautiful
Because in Beautiful I will Respect myself
When I realized you had moved on so fast, I realized that the pace was set.
I realized when your bright blue eyes never lit up when we saw each other
after a few days
There are so many languages known to man
And so many lost in translation
I can tell You I love You in quite a few
but the feeling is lost on it's way to meet expectations
Dear Atopic Eczema,
As you take away barriers of my skin
I have built up walls around my heart
Before I knew that I was Pangea,
You break me into continents
Dear Past Me,
I'm sorry.
I'm so incredibly sorry
For what you went through,
For how you were treated.
You should have never accepted
What they were giving you.
Dear self,
Love is not easy
Don't feel bad If it's not
Your mom said it to you
And you almost forgot
Life with no mirror
Would you love yourself then?
Keep looking at reflections
I fractured my sense of hope
And my vision is disarranged
Blurred with shattered reflections
Where it ends, where it starts, it’s all overlapped and undefined
Dear society,
There is hair sown to my arms and legs
but you have given me razors for that.
Imperfections dug on my face
and none of your creams and pills work.
A tunnel in between my front teeth…
Dear “The name that shall never be spoken”,
What have you created? By who were you created?
Who told you it was fine to wreck a home?
Next year I will be able to look at you and see a distant memory
All these broken pieces of you will be put back together
Still cracked and fragmented
But still one piece
I am beautiful
I am intelligent
And I make mistakes
Sometimes my flaws outweigh my good intentions
But there are people who see me
Dear You,
I am so very sorry for the pain I put you through
I lost myself while trying to love you
My days had first started out with a pretty smile
And somehow, by the night .. it was slowly a frown
Dear Society,
I dare to be different.
To be Brave and
Confident.
When I walk into a room full of people,
Dear Body,
What do you make me feel fat and insecure?
Why do you do it? I'm not sure
My whole life I've struggled to lose weight
I'd put less and less on my plate
Middle school was not fun
to my Self,
you have always been,
are,
and will continue to be,
perfect in your imperfections.
You are human,
and you are as beautiful as the cosmos.
to my Skin,
Morning dew trickled off my eyelashes
Like an afterthought of last night’s storm
I fell asleep drowning in my pillowcase
as you are now
you have lived
a life
some may wish to have
close your eyes
notice how your
heartbeat feels
how your
breathing feels
how all of your body systems
Lucy,
Green eyes smiling,
the same color as the warped kitchen floor,
or the grass that makes your toes itch
Golden freckles dancing,
I've been patiently waiting for you to notice me like a girl standing in the corner at a party just waiting to be danced with. But you never notice me.And every time I try to give you a compliment you always seem to get mad at me.I'm sorry if I al
Dear makeup wipes,
You cracked the warm beige – no medium – foundation
And chipped at it
With your chipping fingernails,
Whispered in my ear that you loved the toxic red armies
Dear Christina,
Why?
Why didn’t you think?
Why were you so mean?
Why were you so harsh on yourself?
Dear Christina,
Why?
Why didn’t you think?
Why were you so mean?
Why were you so harsh on yourself?
At 14 I explored ever corner of my soul ,
I memorized every milestone, heartbreak and path that lead me to my being,
At 15 my world was overruled by the truth,
I knew nothing,
To all young people considering returning to a boy who forfeit his right to be called a boyfriend
I have some advice
So close.Close enough to admire the part in your hair, Close enough to study the creases of your face, From years of laug
Were you too misinformed to see clearly,Of how they were destroying your own soul?You opened your mind to them so simply,As if there was not a blood-l
In a world where
Women
Fight
Patriarchy
Misogyny
Sexism
There’s a new breed of witlessness
A group
All I've ever thought about was love
How it feels
What makes it real
Then I had the opportunity
To date someone for that purpose
That made me a selfish person
He cheated on me
My hair is long, which is nice, but I have too many split ends,
My natural hair is wavy, not straight like theirs in my defense,
I’m short, I could never be a model, I don’t have the body for that,
I watched you,
You stood amidst a crowd of people, shivering from the wind that blew
Your edges were ripped and your color fading,
I could smell your fear from so far away, it was pervading,
Your words. They said I love you, but your actions screamed so loudly that they drowned out any indication that those words might even hold some truth. Deafening.
“Love” is a powerful word
so full of intense emotion
and desperate desires.
“Love” can mend or break you,
healing wounds of the past
Because I love you
I see you for who you are
I am not only an admirer, but I see you as a star.
A divine reflection
Not my missing piece
Because when I found you, we both had worked to feel complete
Because I love you
I see you for who you are
I am not only an admirer, but I see you as a star.
A divine reflection
Not my missing piece
Because when I found you, we both had worked to feel complete
Self-Inflicted
I do this “thing.”
I bring more pain to myself when I’m already hurting; and I can’t stop.
I crank the sad songs,
I drive in the pouring rain,
Because We Love
Amanda Aman
Love is conflicting like April weather
An incessant downpour sequenced by rainbows and delicate sunrays
Like love, the sky surrounds us and knows no boundary
There’s three little words I want to hear you say
Three little words that can brighten my day
I wait expectantly, lapping up the sound of your voice,
Because I love you
I see you for who you are
I am not only an admirer, but I see you as a star.
A divine reflection
Not my missing piece
Because when I found you, we both had worked to feel complete
It’s because I love you,
That I would make you cry.
And that’s why
I’m your greatest ally.
It’s because I love you,
I look in the mirror
And see everything he couldn't.
I see the angel kisses spread across my skin
Even the one on my lip.
I see the gentleness in my eyes
And the hope in my smile.
I thought I was ready
Sat back with my window down
The radio loud, going seventy an hour
Heart a hurricane
Mind a comet
But the most beautiful things end
you see
You said it was because you loved me. You said that all the anger and jealousy was a trait that came with the feeling "love".
With distruction comes creation
In a flowers weakest most fragile state comes a fastation
It blooms into something powerful and disguises its most fragile state
Until touched
Just like myself
the scribbles on the bathroom wall tell the story of a broken heart.
beneath the ink there it lay. barren, clean, new.
the pollution of this rotten inconvenience, while formed through hurt,
We started out as friends
Just friends
until it became something much more
The way I felt about you, I have never felt about anyone else before
You were so patient, smart and kind
Because I love you
I've somehow seemed to forget to love myself
Placed all devoted enery of being a better me
To lie like an overlooked book on a crowded shelf
Love,
because I love you I want nothing but the best for you.
I want to see you shine and accomplish the world.
I want you to be happy and not the type of happy that is portrayed in the media.
Because of you
I couldn't feel anybody else's fingertips, I couldn't feel anybody else's words.
Because of you
I ignored the mirrors that held myself, my body, in the purest form.
Because of you
I am able to love you now and there are so many reasons why.
Jumping right in, I remember you were so shy
You spoke with the sofest tone and always sat by yourself
Because I love you
i will give you space to heal
because I love you I will not hurt you like you hurt me
because I love you I will continue to keep loving you enough so you can find self love
Because I love you,
I gave you hugs and kiss,
I kissed your scars,
I guided you back to who you truly are,
I gave you pieces of me when I knew I wouldn't have anything left,
But we,
But me,
I have always been Independent //So no one can say//In 40 years //I will have somebody//I would rather be by myself forever.//It is not true that//“Love conquers all”.//After all,//Relationships are a waste of time.//It is ridiculous to think that
Can I strip you of the skin you're in?
Deep inside lies your value, but you're veiled by the things you're in.
Sinking so deep in materialistic objects, your soul's lost its balance.
It all begins with the First look.The meeting of eyes that sparks a flame inside your stomach.The infallible desire that follows a simple glance.It devours you like a poison that has no antidote.But what is It? That word,Love.So meaningful,Yet so
Maybe it was him.
Maybe it was me.
Maybe it was the world around us that never wanted us to be.
Maybe it was the wrong time to give us a try.
Maybe there was a hello that started with a goodbye.
“goodbyes”
from a list of messages never sent.
You told me it was unfair
For me to get up and walk away
But did you not see
To all the girls.
With thick thighs and dreams soaring high,
I love you.
To the girls.
That are too raw, too pure,
To be tarnished by societys choices,
I love you
Soulful -she's beautyVibrating in her essenceEvolving within her spirit She is beaming from her light.
Once upon a starry night
Still is dark but seems so bright
The way the world just disappears
Into your eyes into your fears
Remember when we thought wine was grape juice, days went on forever, and the only worry we felt was when our parents dropped us off at school?
indecisive
the feeling i get when you walk away
the feeling i get when you say my name
throughout my life i have tried to let go
Greyhound is the grounds of reflection,All these lost souls and broken hearts on the bus I'm catching.Each and everyone weighed down by their luggage and baggage,Escaping wherever they came with their kids in hand. But I'm on the same route thoug
Once upon a time there were Cinderella’s in the world
A Cinderella’s love was stellar
Full of confidence she glowed
But glowing out of gloom she folds
Mirror mirror on the wall
What will be the death of us all?
She sat there making judgment of who is most fair
Where dreams come true, she lived a nightmare
You told me I have to play the game of society. If I don’t I won’t succeed as a writer, but a whore. Who is to define my intelligence by the purple marks of sex on my skinny neck? You?
You hang your head low,
because you feel inferior
So Your crown has fallen,
but little do you know that you are truly superior
I am sewing a dresswith the thread of strength,And knots of ambitions,And when it’s ready, Then will iron itwith the remission,I am sewing my broken soul!
Author: Tangie Harris
Title: Flowers
Look out there, what do you see?
Hopefully within that garden I see a particular flower for me.
A handsome flower, with roots
There are people who love youPeople who hate youPeople who wish they were youBut you’re youThey want to be like BeyoncéOr swag it out like my friend JovanteBut nobody is as great as youBeing you
Aloft in the Eaton Canyon air, my arms wave goodbye
to the commercial airplane flying away.
Born to break by the corruption of mankind,
my innocent laughter then echoes below.
Times have changed and I’m aboard the timeless train.
The clock goes tick tock and I watch dimensions pass me by
...In attempt to hold onto past circumstances,
I see blue irises
A too-large shirt hangs limply over my body
There is dried paint on my hands
A conversation about planets and stardust swims its was out of the salty tears
Blue irises
A year ago I would drop pioson in every drink
I would lock myself in a tall tower
I would stab myself in the back
I was shocked everytime it bled
No one teaches you how to stop hurting yourself
They ask me what's wrong ?
How come your so sad ?
but then I blow it off and deflect ..........
"oh its nothing " " really its nothing like that !
Then all of a sudden I'm left panicking SCREAMING ON THE INSIDE
She looked and frowned,
I looked and smiled,
She glares, She stares,
At things that are not there,
At the start,
She was kind, beautiful, free.
She was individual, unique
Better than she’d ever been.
Then, near the middle,
And more towards the end
Her self image began to bend
And bend
She grows almost like a flower, but never quite as tall.
And her bark is just as good as her bite.
This year, she broke mirrors.
She built bridges.
She fought wars.
we all have skin.
some skin tight
some skin loose
sometimes wrinkly, sometimes smooth—
but my skin is Brown
and to society that is not the sAme;
i am taught
Selfish self
Shy self
Not wanting to feel
Not wanting to notice
Not wanting to be
Self
Worried about my flyaways
How others viewed me
Letting others ideas of me affect me
You came into my life
And planted a seed
I watched you water it and let me grow into this beautiful tree
Together we were to fertilize and make more beautiful things
Till one day you stopped watering me
A year ago
I wouldn't have known
the girl I see now
I could not have told you how
I did not know me
I was in my own self misery
I was in deep depression
In what I thought was oppression
I look in the mirror and I like what I see.
Curves.
Muscle.
A smile.
Scars.
A rib cage,
with a beating heart beneath it.
A head,
Have you ever felt inadequate, like you'll never amount to anything, like you'll never accomplish your goals, like the people who tell you you'll only amount to nothing are actually right.That maybe, just maybe, they're telling you the
I'm sorry my hair offends you
im sorry its puffy curls block your view
you made me feel ashamed when i had cornrows in while being so young but now you call them boxer braids
Waking up to the aurora of morning,
Feeling the presence of reality.
Looking at myself in the mirror saying,
Today is a beautiful day, fix your mentality.
But the feeling of sadness overwhelms me
Their noses are higher than their IQ's
they step on sweet innocents as if they roses.
When will they relize?
We fumble around as if we've been shotten ,
but in reality we are all just rotten.
To the boys who feel disgusted by women on their periods and the young ladies who fear womanhood because of it.
Here’s a sneak peak into our leak week:
Period 1: AP U.S. History
I was raised to be proud, confident, to embrace full.
To ignore the mugs of the brighter skin, Living Melanin.
To wear my curly fro & deny any hands to touch for it was my crown.
It was at the tender age of 11,
In which I entered this place called Poetry Heaven.
I had a little taste of Shakespeare,Dickinson, Angelou and Hughes,
After spending months with you
I can’t believe I thought you were the one too
I hate that I fell for the idea of us
You getting along with everyone was just a plus
In my own arms I AM safe and sound
Free to explore, free from all bounds
In the past I built walls around
And the insecurities kept weighing me down
Trying to fly but my feet couldnt lift off the ground
All
I need
Is my black+ness;
Making a home out of my skin
Deep with+in
Proof of my ancestors’ reignin’
I swore that I got my light from the North Star
When I was just a flicker in the rolling fields of dark satin
I prayed to the sky,
“Grant me a dimmer backdrop
So that I may rise out of it”
What pronouns do you want?
Like within the course of a week, I could change my gender identity.
Is it because of a boy?
Like every life event must be reflected in an appearance change.
Putting her on a pedestal makes you a fool.
Lust only lasts for so long, so take time for yourself so you don't get stuck in the wrong.
Return to your interests instead of what controls you.
Money, power, accessories.
I would banish all these luxuries,
All costly clothing, all fancy bling,
For the sake of something
Greater.
I smile in the mirror and whisper the words to myself, “You’re pretty”
But my reflection says back, “No you’re not.
You’re more than just pretty.
Finally things are going in a way that I can agree with.
Finally I can smile with pride with straight white teeth.
Finally I can rack up on savings because of a great job.
Melanin
Sounds like a product someone is selling
I constantly hear peopling posting it, saying it, yelling.
It is my skin,
The one I was born in
I have always had it but now it being the norm thing
I am a girl transitioning into womanhood.
Still making mistakes ,
but learning from them.
I cry during sad movies,
and during happy ones too.
I care too much,
for those who care to little.
I am different, from the kids at school. I am unique, among my friends. I am strong, for my family. I am a fighter, with my father. I am weak, for sometimes it's too dark. I am insolated, the darkness consumes me. But I am not alone.
I am not weak.
{I won’t deny my flaws and insecurities.
I’ve been bruised and broken in places,
used and abused and pushed aside and wasted,
disregarded and shamed,
manipulated and blamed,
Can I be lost in your arms
Can I forget what it is to remember
Can I lie and say goodnight
Would you believe me?
If I try to deceive you
Would you even care
Would you look away
My mother told me i had a chameleon soul, no moral compass, no fixed personality; just an inner indecisivness that was as wide and wavering as the ocean. I am a person who belongs to no one, who belongs to everyone.
Happy days come and go but nothing more
They say to prove your worth or else be sore
Ive come and gone and begged my soul to greif
Alas it has been nothing but a dream.
Those boys and girls pertain to nothingness
My job isn't to make you feel comfortable
To show that I care about how you feel about me
Everyone repeat after me: MY worth is not diminished by what others think or say about me.
ALL TOGETHER NOW.
My face with no filter is a face I am proud to post
My freckles and my blush are the things I love the most
Many people say I could use some cover-up
But nothing beats the smile I bring when I want to say wassup
I open my eyes and look towards my feet.
There are weights on a wall seeming to stare at me.
I am a girl risen from ashes.
An alcoholic mother
And a drug-addict father.
Yeah, you could say the odds were against me.
Constantly being told you'll amount to nothing.
Boy, did I prove them wrong?
If there was something I could tell you, I would keep it real.
I would tell you this so you would know how I feel
Three months.
That's how long I wore makeup in eighth grade-
How long I tried to fit ubiquitous standards.
Solutions for fear of inadequacy:
Who am I without any of those filters or fake edits?
Well I am me
I am someone who is naturally beautiful
yet goofy all by my personal line of credit
I am someone with flaws just like anyone else
And as much as I adore you, I adore myself just as much as you claim to. I cannot bare anymore heartbreaks, not one more let down, and not one bit more of doubt. This must come natural to you; I seem to fold so easily.
My braces and brackets. My curls that I love to twirl. Bown eyes. Brows with a high arch. I don't know if I can tell you all begining to start. Yellow skin. 5"6 is where I stand. eighteen and I feel like I'm downing in quicksand.
"You're white, you're a girl, your life is easy."
On the outside looking in, I suppose:
I am white, I am a girl.
I come from a white family
Born into happiness and health.
Raised with respect and manners.
"Four eyes", "big forehead", all the things that my haters said.
"Big lips", "big nose to", thought I was cute, they like "who told you?"
Before you even noticed him
I saw you
You liked him
But, I crave you
What am I gonna do?
He’s just a masquerader
That’ll never get it
Only asking you can I hit it?
Can I hit it?
Twenty photos taken
Ten are deleted
Five are retaken
Ten show the camera’s reflection on my glasses
The other five look hideous:
My baby cheeks seem to be bulging;
My skin is flushed out;
Look at me.
Do you see me?
Or do you see this mask of foundation that i am wearing.
I am not this wig that you see
I use to feel so disgusted by those hurtful words
telling me that I wasn't pretty enough
slim enough
Every day I put a mask on my face.
I pick out my flaws and try to erase
The "imperfections" our society has set.
Impossible standards that have yet to be met.
So who am I behind the mask?
I am made of sticks and stones.
I rebuilt myself from those
I found
Strewn about the kitchen floor,
Remnants of your drunken tirades.
My bones felt hollow
When I learned that yours
I would like to think that my body and my face were created specifically for me.
I bottled all my tears to save for rainy days
I put my bad thoughts in a box and sent it into space
I framed all my smiles and kept them on display
I bagged up all my feelings and threw them all away
My imperfections are in no way diminishing my value!
For I am
Priceless,
You don't even know who you fucking are, let alone what you're fucking worth,
Dentists would always call me "Bucktooth Beaver,"
Potentially straight teeth, was everyone, even I, a nonbeliever?
The other girls said my breasts remind them of a boy,
Without all the filters, without the different poses
I know who I am and God only knows it
I am free to be me in my crazy condition
My wild mind could be shown at an art exhibition
I look in the mirror and am proud of what I see
It took a long time to get here
Loving my body and who I am starting to be
I was able to push past my fear
I have two legs to run and a body that is strong
I'm not just who you say I am,I worked hard to get where I am today.It took everything I had to just get out of bed to face difficulties.You laugh now but I am serious.
Age 13, my face was full of blemishes.
Age 14, I had to get glasses.
Age 15, I wanted perfect skin.
Age 16, I screamed, "Screw perfection!".
I am writing to let you know
you are not alone.
No matter how romanticized the rogue in you becomes.
For all my wanderlust roving dreams of distance, I am writing in hope you know
your heart is not a fight club.
no one is more you-er than you...
"you're fat, you're big, you're dark" is it all true?
invested time trying to change the views
the comments, the likes, the photos
I am beautiful.My heart is gold.My sprirt is glowing.My attitude is bold.I am beautiful.My compassion is limitless.My intellegence is vast.My love is tenderness.
I think, therefore I am
But what do I think?
What am I?
What am I?
I am beautiful
I am free
I am the fearful and wonderful creature that God made me to be
I see how people are self-conscious
How people try to be confident
I see how society brings us down
How people say hurtful things
My body was my battleground. My skin parted like the Red Sea, and a surge of life came flooding over me. Dusk looked like the bruises on my bones. The war between mind over matter was never ending and some days all I could do was rest.
The world describes using filters
and wearing makeup
as a way to hide our true selves from the world
I remember the way the filters made me look,
so beauiful and delicate, something looking brand new.
I rermember how the tilt of the camera changed the entire view,
Don't glance at me with empty eyes,
I demand that double take from fiery irises directed at laugh lines and a squinty-eyed smile.
She sits and wonders to herself,
How she wishes she were someone else.
Her hair as flat as books she reads
And eyes the shade of polluted seas.
Turns on the computer and there she finds
Behind all the filters,
my pictures hold natural beauty.
Behind the makeup and touch-ups,
I have freckles that engulf my face.
Behind the smiles,
I hold back years worth of overcome struggles
I have learned to love these curves
As a rollercoaster to my body.
The more curves,
The more exciting,
Because no one likes a ride,
That only goes straight.
Glide your hands over the curves
I am a body of water
Stretching far and wide
Beyond and away
From my shores, to some unknown
Place
And my body is the water
It rolls and ripples
And my mind is the water
Calm and glassy
"I am no bird,"
That's what she told me.
"no net ensares me."
Those words are true.
You strived to be
more than a bird, but,
You found yourself caught,
defensless, trapped.
First, the feelings of unworthiness
battle for domination of mind and soul
They, seemingly irrelavent, are allowed in
These do not want to be known from the outside
So they hide themselves behind a joyful face
Sadness is dark like a dark winter's night
Sadness taste like salty tears falling down your face
Sadness smells like dead rose
Sadness looks like glass being broken
Sadness sounds like your last breath
My crooked smile and loud laugh
Are things that make me flawless
My hyperactive crave for change
Are things that make me lawless
My 4'10" stature and petite frame
Attribute to my smallness
All you do is bring me down.
You told me I am ugly, a slut, a loser, and a monster.
I am no longer the moster.
I have finally learned how to accept myself, even if others despite me.
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
Being Myself , The best that I can be
Being Myself , The test noone sees
Being Myself, The rest is mystery.
Thats a challenge, Thats a Quiz
Thats a challenge , only for a Wiz.
Mirrors tell the truth, you see
They are blunt and honest, the worst but best kind too
It's hard trying to see yourself when it's impossible too.
You can't count on people's words either.
Silent and still in her darkness she observed
The lights glowing in her milky way growing disturbed.
The stars jarred and jerked
Though their brilliant burn seemed all the same from planet Earth.
I wish I could share
with you
the euphoria I get when
I’m really,
really high
on life.
It feels as if I’m apart from my body.
It’s like a million birds singing with me,
Living behind the curtain of the perfect girl is tough
Not telling anyone what is actually going on is tough
I've been through a lot in my short lifetime
A few years ago my best friend called me a slut behind my back
Have it your way.
Or instead, let’s do it my way.
Leaving you, to suffer, to fail, and
To die.
Leaving you to run into your own
Enigmatic maze.
What scares me so much?
Sometimes, I don’t even know
I ask myself this question
Before I’m about to go-
Hide, leave, run from my fears.
Fears that I don’t even know how to describe.
I am from cells, built together to make my mother’s uterus,
If I wasn’t supposed to come out, then how did I,
You can’t see me?
Good
I don’t want you to.
I stand behind this curtain
Behind this wall
So I am away from you
From your judgment
Because you don’t know who I am.
I am a great person
The world is filled with upset teens
Burdened with the pressure of perfection.
Always striving to be lean,
Breathe in
Breathe out
The exhale is a gust
blowing the pain of depression out
Bulimia catch the tale wind leave me please
No you bring me
right back to the beginning
Momma don't drink
Two sides of the same coin
yet so different
one puts a religious front
and the other a complete non believer
mother and father wouldnt approve
thanks to them my curtain is locked
fool proof
Grasping his cold, calloused hand tightly,
My throat squeezed itself even tighter.
I looked up with cloudy eyes and fading hope.
His eyes glazing with his own tears, he said my name.
Nobody is born flawless
No one is a perfect being
But when we embrace our flaws
And love ourselves for who we are
we are flawless
When I was born,
I was born as myself.
A unique little girl,
Unlike anyone else.
I was one of a kind,
Someone very special.
I was in charge of my life,
The queen of my own world.
Words from my mother
Combing through knotted curly hair
One ear, Out the other
Phrases too hard to bear
Hardest part of the day
To me, this is so clear
Children go out and play
don't tell me things about myself
that i know are lies
don't say that i am not good enough
when i know the truth
don't say that i am ugly
when i can see clearly
I'm not the man behind the curtain,
but the Turtle behind the Shell.
How can I stop from being trampled on
when I can't even stand up for myself?
It's hard to stand on solid ground
I am a girl.
I am a woman.
I should sit on the toilet, and stare at the wall, or the tub, or the sink.
My view should be of the things around me, not the things under me.
I am a human.
I am a person.
Captivated by her beauty, the beast overcomes me.The beast i cannot tame. The beast that tells me who i am. And who i want to be.I see the way you look at her.The way she looks at you.
10
9
8
You count down,
It's almost time.
7
6
5
The tears they fall,
No going back now.
4
In the words of my mother “I was as big as a good shit” Which was some shit seeing a I gave her so many complications.
Hi, My name is Abriana, and I'm addicted to him. He is like my drug, never good for me but still good enough to silence the pain.
Let us linger here a while in the foolishness of things. Let the wind and the rain cleanse all our sorrow and shame.
I scream and shout
You hear me from across the room
I'm a bright prescence even when you want nothing to do but get away
Always laughing
Wearing a constant grin
Doing my best to pull out a smile or a chuckle
Who is the real me? Am I the person who people look to for a good laugh when they’re feeling down?Am I the person who is there for my friends and family in their times of need?
I changed my look
I changed my hair.
I changed for friends who won't be there.
I changed my smile
I changed my clothes
I thought my change would be worthwhile
I was misguided. My demons would taunt me. Convince me to wander on countless occasions. I'd roam around until they'd finally attack. They always did and always do, as soon as they see their chance. They feed on any sign of weakness.
bugs crawling under my skin
tiny whispers
the itch of trillions of legs
uglyloserwrongawkwardwrongweird
no
No
NO
i am not ruined
i am not a burning building
i am not damaged goods
A Women of All Odds
Please pay no attention to the women behind those books
Intelligence is over-rated; twerking is all the new rage
As the sun peaked through your window, it woke me with its sweet rays.
Hugging me gently, just as my mother did back in those days.
It's weird to think I used to hate myself.
Look in the mirror, cringe and coil away from myself.
Ripping apart the person that is me.
Wishing away every little blemish and piece of skin.
It's a world painted with love...lust...passion...hate...intrigue
and so many other heart hitting things.
There are roads that lead us to our happiest moments
and others to the most tragic times of our life.
“The Prosecution Rests”
This room gets smaller by the second. I swear that my winter-wear was
underestimated. It seems cool when you’re on the outside, but as soon as
When will my bones stop aching
when will my chest stop quaking
from my missing you
I must be the one
I must become some one
so I can love myself more than you
My golden eyes hide behing the pounds of mascara that shade my natural beauty.
Constrained by the norms of society I fake it until I can one day make it,
Hoping for a chance to be myself,
Dear sister friend,
What is it that you see?
Are you not pleased with what’s underneath?
I stand behind a wall of pain
Gazing out into a world of blame, that
You're so quick to spue from a fernace of flames, that
Your mouth claims. I stand
It takes me too long
To look in the mirror.
Much too long
To look at my reflection.
Remember the times you called me
"Fat.
I begin and end
With the use of this state of mind
I am you as you are I
Potential is a given
Confidence rearranges
HelloIs all you have to sayas we walk each other by.Instead you let my presence go missingbecause I entangle vowels with consonantssynchronize self-love with confidence.too ethnic
Growing up in this world you are taught to envy others
But why are we jealous of those in magazines or on TV
Rather than wanting to be exactly like our mothers
'Perfect' people plastered everywhere is all we see
For 23 years I didn't know what it meant to look in the mirror and think anything positive.
Step outside yourself for a moment, look at yourself in a different light. Not just any light, but with the Light of Christ.
My Body is not "my body" in fact it is a blessing. My body is not yours to be kissing, loving, and caressing.
From my curly nappy hair that screams with African strength. To my long spider fingers rich in their length.
Why Should I be less than thou that did not create me?
Because I have honey thighs and a figure but lack certain organs "thee" are not "we"?
Nurtured like flowers in a garden we are raised to succeed, but not to over achieve.
Who the heck are you to tell me I’m wrong? How can you be so sure that the song I sing is out of tune?
Shy. Insecure, Embarrased
Unconfident
She glares at the two piece shimmery white bikini,
hanging up on the wall
It called out to her
It was beautiful.
I used to grow up thinking daddy's wide shoulders were the highest point of Earth.
questioning my worth as i stand here vertically challenged
Who am I? Why am I here? What should I strive for?
How will I know when I’ve achieved success?
Aim to become all that you hope to be, all that you dream to be, all that you will be
Why are you staring?
Does my body hair offend you?
Are you scared by my lack of makeup?
Tell me, am I not good enough?
Why are you staring?
Is it because a fat girl is wearing cutoffs?
Her stride so poised
She floats with every step she makes in her nude Pigalle heel
Demeanor, so regal it demands respect
tonight i cried
because i lost controll.
tonight as i stood in the shower
as i stood naked and alone
i cried.
tonight i remembered when i was the girl
the boys fallowed around
calling her
I'd change my face
The large pores, the dimpled chin
Sharpen the roundness, put teeth in a brace
if the boy you love consistently asks for sex but refuses to treat you like the goddess you are, leave him
There is no quiet place
inside of my head
everything between us seems dead
I can’t help but to think there is no sun
I wear a size seven,
you want me to be a three.
Forget what you say.
This is real, this is me.
I wear a size large,
you want me to be a small.
You think 5'1" is too short,
Look in me. Now tell me what do you see. You don't see much. But let me tell you what I see a child force to be grown.
I may not be dumb,
But that does not mean I’m smart.
I’m old enough now
To take care of my own heart.
So that’s what I had thought,
Then I chose the wrong guy.
1. Scrub your skin cleanuntil the fingerprintsof mean boysare wiped clear fromyour thighs and wrists.
Am I more than just a breath
escaping from a pair of lungs?
More than just a beat
drumming in a chest?
More than just the lakes
residing in my veins?
Yes, I am more.
I am love and sweat
In elementary school, we read a story called The BFG, or big friendly giant. It was a story about the only kind giant to exist. If you asked any of my old classmates about the story, most would probably not remember.
We hold a high position.Standing with a strong attitude in the way we walk and talk.No man will respect the women who can’t run her own race, but every man will respect the woman who can hold her own.
I am from glossy pages still unread,
from Miracle and hydrofluorcarbon.
I am from the ochre and unkempt backyard.
I am from the Peace Lilly,
the forest of Pines,
whose branches reach high above.
As a little child I played in an open field of dreams
Not having a care in the worldBut as time went by a fence started to build a barrier around me
I love my big nose and big lips: nubian features; my blemishes and acne marks.
I love my nappy roots; the 4-5 hours it takes to tame my mane.
I just wanted closure
I wanted to start a new chapter
I longed for the day I could move on
And let go of the one person I was chasing after
I cried oceans of tears at night
She is tumbling, cascading, silently spiraling into a tunnel of hopelessness. you are too dark! you're not pretty enough! she desperate for comfort.
The struggle and pain is real and pure.
Living a life you never wanted to live
And also enduring the pain that it brought.
Everyday that should be a bright and sunny day,
Is dark and full of misery.
As the lights go out
Our minds begin to render thoughts and things we pushed back.
Back to the depths of what we fear.
Fear of the times we dare not share,
She takes a moment to look at her life
Strife after strife
Day and night
And after all these trials
The sinews and might of her soul are strong, strong indeed
And she can laugh at whatever comes her way
She takes a moment to look at her life
Strife after strife
Day and night
And after all these trials
The sinews and might of her soul are strong, strong indeed
And she can laugh at whatever comes her way
Course as wind, the spirit paces in all the hallways we have yet to discover within ourselves
Untouched portals and crooked thoughts of mankind clash, leaving the seekers tongue tied.
