I was told from a very young age that I should never be comfortable in my own skin

I was told that I should strive to be thinner

     but never too thin

to be more girly

     but never too girly

to be more

     but don’t be too much

because I can’t be comfortable in my own skin

 

I was told that my natural smell is disgusting

     and I have to cover it up with expensive perfumes

I was told that my natural face is unworthy

     and I have to put make-up on to conceal it

I was told that the marks on my face that I was born with were ugly

     and I have to hide them away

I was told that my emotions made me undesirable

     and I have to hide the tears, and the anger

I was told that my natural hair is imperfect

     and I have to die it and cut it and style it

I was told that my weight was unnatural

     and I have to starve myself to lose it

because I can’t be okay with being me

 

I was told that I was put on this Earth to carry children

     but I can’t feed them in public

because my body is here just for the gratification of men

     but I can never indulge them

because that would make me loose and unwanted

     but I have to indulge

because I can’t be stuck up and arrogant

 

I was told these from the magazines at the checkout counter

     from the wayward glances at the girl who never covered her imperfections

from the way my mother looked at her own body with revulsion

     from the commercials on the television

from people trying to sell me a more comfortable body

     from the girls in television who can never be happy being who they are

because I can’t be normal without changing every aspect of the body I was born in

 

If I could change me…

 

If I could change me…

 

If I could change me, I would give myself confidence

I would let myself know that I had nothing to be ashamed of

I would tell myself that it was okay to just be me 

I would let myself know that I had nothing to be afraid of

I would tell myself that I never had anything that I needed to hide

 

If I could change anything…

 

Anything…

 

I would let all those little girls who think they aren't good enough,

     that they really are

I would tell them that it will be okay, you don’t have to change yourself for them

     you should change yourself for you

If you try your whole life to please others

     then you’ll never be happy with yourself

It’s okay to love yourself, and you should

     because you are awesome and you deserve it

 

I would change our world’s view on girls and women

     because it teaches them that they aren’t good enough just because they are women

I would change our world’s view on anything they find different

     because being different is okay, everyone is equal

I would make people be judged by the “content of their character”

     and not their color, gender, preference, identity, or anything else we can discriminate for