Red.

Learn to Love Yourself 

Learn to love yourself

To look at your face in the mirror,

When all the makeup’s off,

When your eyes are plain and your lips are dry,

Your eyebrows are all over the place and you’re left wondering why

Your pock marks are visible and that pimple has been bared

Your flawed skin is finally seeing the light of day and you wonder how you’ve fared

How you’ve fared in terms of beauty

And I’m not talking about all the inner beauty shit

Because we are vain animals, and always will be,

We will judge everyone upfront on what we see,

And that’s okay

Just make sure that’s not the only impression you have

Decide for yourself today that the only impression that matters to you is your own

So, look at yourself often

In the mirror, in shopping windows,

Even on the surface of puddles,

Border your self appreciation just one point below Narcissus

And look what it does for your confidence,

Those plain black eyes have a twinkle,

Those dry lips have uttered beautiful things,

The unruly eyebrows speak the truth of your spirit,

The uncombed hair falls over your shoulders,

The shoulders that seem to carry the burdens of expectations,

Expectations from parents, relatives, boys, girls

Expectations from society

You will lift that burden again tomorrow,

And go out dressed the way they tell you to dress,

And that’s okay,

Because today you’ve liked who you are,

Maybe tomorrow you’ll be ready to show the world,

Till then,

Fit the norms of beauty

or don’t,

But do it for you

You and nobody else