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a space for youth writing on mental health & identity
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a space for youth writing on mental health & identity
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![]() i’m not pretty. my face is too wide, my nose too big, and my hair is far too weak to take criticism. but once upon a time my words were enough. if i picked up the pen and let my hand go wild it was enough. peeling off the chains on my tongue was enough to make them smile and nod. when i first opened my mouth, it could fight invisible dragons without a sword. they let the words band aid what my charm could not. i laid the letters out on a table
and crafted a dam out of glass. i stood on dry land, ignoring the flood building behind my back. i was never told that a foundation built of validation burns like a wildfire. when i stood and watched my glass palace crumble, the flood ahead looked almost enticing. if the waves swept me away i like to think i would’ve fought hard enough. the fairytale end i drew in the sand was doused with salt water, erased by the back of a pencil. i swallowed the glass whole and the words hit like a feather once more. once the compliments retreated, i was a book with the vowels sucked out. a sentence only made of consonants. at loss of how to exist without being loved. Comments are closed.
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September 2023
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