Self Love: The Tale of a Young Black Girl's Grow n' Glow
As a young girl I'd "see"
That the little white girls around me
Were what I should achieve to be
Straight hair, colored eyes
And skin shades lighter than mine
Is what I childishly thought I needed to shine
I would color myself as one of them
In hopes that they'd be my friend
And that maybe it would mend
The self hatred that seemed to never end
Fast forward to middle school
To when I thought being myself wasn't cool,
And how my insecurites grew because of the popular girls that ruled
Pretty hair, smooth skin, and a cinched waist
Is what I saw and what made me want to pick up the pace
Because it seemed that I was struggling to win a race
Where the prize was the most beautiful face
Little did I know
That in order for the pretty girls to "glow"
They had to show themselves off in a way
That was many steps too low
Pretty hair and smooth skin, yes
But the girls felt they needed to address other girls as less
In order to believe that they were the best of the best
Yet still my insecurity
Birthed more immaturity
Because to me, still, there was a certain security
To being deemed as "pretty"
Now, years later, I see the reason for my flaw
I was, for some reason, in awe
Of whatever didn't remind me of myself
Looking back, I felt sad
That I saw myself, a wonderful young girl, as that bad
However, the situation made me glad
That the self-hating fad was something I no longer had
Pretty face? Yes
Astounding intellect? You can guess
Beautiful soul? Unlike the rest
Me, myself, and I? Only the best
I grew to realize that my blinding glow was unlike any other
That's not to say that I think I'm better,
But I do realize now that I deserve the best
From myself forever and ever