T  w e n t y   t w o

there once was a young girl with green eyes
who wore her soft blond hair
in braided pigtails

at the age of seven,
she watched her older sister
stand in front of the mirror before school
and pinch her stomach with a disgusted face
      neither of them ate breakfast that morning

at the age of nine,
she watched her older brother
make fun of a girl with glasses
for reading in the bus
      she went home and hid all her books
      in the attic

at the age of twelve,
she watched the older girls at school
with straight hair and short skirts
put make up in the bathroom
and discuss how boys would only like you
if you looked perfect, like them
      the next day she arrived with red lips,
      short shorts, and no braided pigtails

at the age of fourteen,
she watched her father hit her mother for the first time
her mother cried when she saw her standing in the doorway
and told her daddy didn't mean it
      the next year, she told herself that
      her boyfriend didn't mean it, either

at the age of sixteen,
she was paper thin and empty
with straight blond hair, red lips,
purple flesh and lifeless green eyes
      while staring at her reflection
      in the bathroom mirror
      she thought to herself,
      "at least i'm normal"

m.k.

 Author's note this is the reality of today's world. and i wouldn't have described it better myself.

» layout credit