Day 11 - Blooming

 I was ready to bloom into womanhood

When I was old enough to understand

That I should be pretty to be of worth. 

From wearing eyeliner to impress

The boy I liked because that

Was the only way men liked women. 

Not attending weddings because I didn't 

Want to be reminded that I haven't 

Turned pretty yet

Haven't bloomed yet. 

When my teacher called me beautiful, 

I spent a whole hour looking at myself

In the mirror, trying to see what she saw. 

When he told me I was always pretty, 

I was furious at him for lying to me, 

I hated lies but I was lying to myself every day. 

You see, I was always blooming, 

But not in the way the world around me wanted, 

I made people feel loved genuinely, 

I have turned tears into laughter, 

I have offered myself solace, 

And I have helped people understand 

What made them bloom. 

I wanted people to see me for who I am. 

In a world that tortures people until

They fit into its ideals, it is a privilege

To be able to explore who you are, 

And how you bloom.