Forty-Six: A Poem About Learning to Love Our Insecurities

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Journal with a heart on it, contains quotes "Be You" and "Love Yourself"

Last night I counted
How many blemishes I wanted to fix
From knee to toe on one leg alone
I found forty-six

That's forty-six reminders of my shame
Forty-six ghosts that haunt me with insecurity
Forty-six times I stared into the mirror
Crying over my impurity

I am a ruined canvas
Covered in billions of paint splatters
Buy me a palette the color of invisibility
So with my image I can feel flattered

But these messengers of self-hatred
Can never be exchanged for pride
I can never be free, for they cannot be severed
Believe me, I've tried

But perhaps there's a reason why scars are forever
To serve as a reflection of my story, my experiences
I am the toughest of steel, forged in the hottest of flames
And these are the marks of my resilience

My scars represent
Where I've been
What I've done
Who I am
My scars represent me
And I am beautiful
Too beautiful to be ashamed

I am beautiful. Too beautiful to be ashamed.
Poetry
United States of America