She felt so pretty
As she gazed in the mirror
Feeling more grown up
More confident
More self assured
More happy
Than ever before
She felt so beautiful
As she gazed in the mirror
Noticing the hints
Of eye shadow
Blush
Lip gloss
Placed in a manner
Previously reserved
For those she had only
Witnessed from a distance
For those she was now
Becoming
She felt so alive
As she gazed in the mirror
At the dress she had picked
Falling just above the knee
In a crimson red
Begging to be twirled
Begging to be admired
She felt so much more
Like the woman she was becoming
As she turned from the mirror
As she approached the door
She felt so much more excitement
At the thought of their
Reaction to her beauty
As she walked down the stairs
Knowing that they would have to love
Her reflection too
As she approached
The bottom step
Her skin rose to the occasion
With goosebumps
Leading the way
Her spine
Reaching toward the sky
Meeting the elation
Of a great moment in time
Her smile grew
As wide as the world
As the anticipation
Filled her entire body
With a new way of feeling
A wholeness she had never
Felt before
The reveal
Was upon her
As she held her breath
Crossed her fingers
Turned the corner
Only to be met with
Distraught gasps
Of what felt like horror
Shredding her skin
Banishing the goosebumps
Forever more
Looks of disappointment
Ripping through her body
Crushing her spirit
Deflating the once elegant spine
Which held her so perfectly
As it reached for the sky
Collapsing in dispair
Words of disapproval
Slapped at her face
Wiping that smile
Completely away
Leaving no hints
Of who she was
Just moments before
Who do you think you are
You are only a teenager
Good girls don’t dress like that
Do you know how they will look at you
Do you know what they will say
Are you trying to get noticed
That dress only invites one thing
Cover your knees
Cover your shoulders
Wash your face
Get back upstairs
Don’t you dare come back down
Young lady
Until you are
Presentable
She moved forward in life
From that moment in time
Scarred by an invisible
Chasm of fear
Afraid to feel
Afraid to express
Afraid to test
Afraid to relate
Afraid to be
She moved forward in life
Shutdown from her connection
To her own body
To joy
To Fun
To Laughter
Not wanting to risk
Having those precious feelings
About herself
Being taken away again
She moved forward in life
Wearing what she was told
What would fit in
What would be acceptable
What made others happy
She moved forward in life
From that moment in time
Wondering
Why she felt so ashamed
Of her body
Of feeling proud
Of wanting to stand tall
She moved forward in life
From that moment in time
Wondering
Why she couldn’t create
Anything for her
Why she seemed so shutdown
To anything that brought her
Any sense of pleasure
Any sense of exposure
Any sense of being
Completely in her body
It only takes one moment in time
To crush
The one you love
With your
Own personal fears
Judgments
Rules
Rigidity
I wonder though
What would have happened
If she had turned that corner
Been seen as beautiful
Been met with acceptance
Been spoken to differently
Not from a place of silence
Where the others didn’t share
But from a place of love
Of acceptance
Of curiosity
Of joy
For the emerging
Beauty
That she was
I wonder
Who she would be today
Had she been met
With love
Guided by those
She trusted
Offered in a way
That allowed her to remain true
To herself
To her feelings
While being
With those others
Who may have had a different
Opinion
Not an opinion of better than
Not one of comparison or wrong doing
But an opinion of
Difference
Offered with love
While expressing acceptance
For a young girl
Trying on
For the very first time
The wardrobe of woman
Yes you are beautiful
Yes you are amazing
Yes it is ok to feel alive
To feel pretty
To feel alive
To feel the change in your body
To embrace the difference
That you want to express
While being and emerging
You
I bet that today
Had it been different
She would feel so pretty
As she gazes in the mirror
Feeling more confident
More self assured
More happy
As she moves toward life
Becoming
Even more
