I Saw A Pretty Girl

[anticupid16]

I saw a pretty girl today. But when I looked in those pretty green eyes I saw a not-so-pretty thing. I saw a beautiful baby, and a crying older sister. I saw the monster of envy grabbing hold to an eleven year old and growing every day. I saw an infant, quick to learn, watched by an upset child. The monster of envy grew and grew and each year the beautiful baby was only prettier and smarter and everything envy wanted. I saw a sixteen year old driven to drinking, sneaking vodka and rum where she could, feeling belittled and hurt. I saw a young woman suspended from school because of a pain so deep it cut into her bones. I saw a woman in her mid-twenties stealing a teenager’s money because there is nothing left to take from the beautiful child. I saw a woman trying to make amends, paying for her sins in atonement that will never satisfy. A long road of revenge and envy, leading to isolation and sorrow.
I saw a pretty girl today. But buried in the strands of her pretty curls were words of hatred. I saw a little boy throwing a game controller at a girl with wide eyes, not knowing what she’d done wrong. I saw an eight year old girl picking on a child with a different accent than hers, and an eight year old boy mocking the way she said “acorn.” I saw fifth graders using a word they didn’t know the meaning of to tell a child that she was different. I saw friendships broken on a whim, because a child was different. I saw a girl sobbing in her room, her mother ignoring the fact that she is “different.” I saw eleven year old boys call her “Cat-Poo” and “Skunk-Head” because she was “different.” There were whispers of ugliness and stupidity, about a pretty little girl with an enormous mind.
I saw a pretty girl today. But nestled in her heart is a pain that won’t go away, since the one to resolve it is gone. I saw yells, to finish work faster and know numbers better. To memorize more, read more, write more, see more, speak more, and yet do everything perfectly the first time around. I saw a ten year old with an activity or two every day, run down each night by the pressure. I saw a ten year old crying that she was fat and ugly, as the children at school had told her each day, and being shown how to improve herself. I saw a girl with her eyebrows plucked, legs shaved, stomach sucked in, hair slicked down, clothes tightened, shoes heightened, food limited, teeth whitened, face painted, and hands manicured at too young an age. I saw a girl whose self-hatred was reaffirmed by a mother eager to help her daughter become perfect.
I saw a pretty girl today. Her smile shone out the brightest of anything as she laughed with all her light. That smile was put there by a man who had only one child and enough love for ten. I saw a little girl being proudly held, shone off by a man with her face, eyes, and hair. I saw a girl taking a stand against something she saw as wrong and being told she was right by a man proud to hear her voice. I saw a girl encouraged and told she was smart and important by a man who believed all of that. I saw a girl whose voice was loud because she was told it was good to be heard. I saw a girl whose hopes were high because she was told she could do anything. I saw a girl whose life was happy because she was told it was hers to make. I saw a girl whose father encouraged her where others hurt her, listened to what she said where others ignored her, and saw the value where others saw nothing.
I saw a pretty girl today. Her nose was mine, her lips were mine, and her dimples were mine. I saw a pretty girl today in the mirror and had to remind myself who it was. I saw a girl in the mirror today that I would never have thought existed before, because every time I looked in the mirror I saw an ogre that couldn’t speak. I saw a creature with no talent, nothing of value, and no one to tell them otherwise. I saw a girl whose sister was angry and whose mother was helpful. I saw a girl who wanted to slick down her hair and make it like that popular girl’s because that was the only way to fit in. I saw a girl who wanted to be an unhealthy weight because that was the weight her friends were. I saw a girl who thought the things she did were nothing because she was the one doing them. I see a girl, now, who I can be proud of.
I see a girl in the mirror. That girl is me, with her long curls and dark green eyes. That girl isn’t afraid of being different, because she’s worth it. That girl was told by a dedicated loving father that she was strong and determined, and that just like a wolf, she’d be the leader of her own life. I look in the mirror, and though sometimes I can only see the straggly eyebrow hairs creeping up my forehead and the pimple that just grew up, I also see a future, endless and full of opportunity. I can look in the mirror and smile at the girl I see.
So if you see a pretty girl today, tell her that. Tell her that she’s pretty, that’s she’s strong, that she’s important. Tell her she has a promising future, and that no matter what she does there will be those who love her. If you see a pretty girl, tell her that.  

[NightAngels]

I wish there was a heart button for this : )
It's a nice poem. ^^  

[kahono]

really awesome poem heart  

[VioletteMidnight]

anticupid16

I saw a pretty girl today. But when I looked in those pretty green eyes I saw a not-so-pretty thing. I saw a beautiful baby, and a crying older sister. I saw the monster of envy grabbing hold to an eleven year old and growing every day. I saw an infant, quick to learn, watched by an upset child. The monster of envy grew and grew and each year the beautiful baby was only prettier and smarter and everything envy wanted. I saw a sixteen year old driven to drinking, sneaking vodka and rum where she could, feeling belittled and hurt. I saw a young woman suspended from school because of a pain so deep it cut into her bones. I saw a woman in her mid-twenties stealing a teenager’s money because there is nothing left to take from the beautiful child. I saw a woman trying to make amends, paying for her sins in atonement that will never satisfy. A long road of revenge and envy, leading to isolation and sorrow.
I saw a pretty girl today. But buried in the strands of her pretty curls were words of hatred. I saw a little boy throwing a game controller at a girl with wide eyes, not knowing what she’d done wrong. I saw an eight year old girl picking on a child with a different accent than hers, and an eight year old boy mocking the way she said “acorn.” I saw fifth graders using a word they didn’t know the meaning of to tell a child that she was different. I saw friendships broken on a whim, because a child was different. I saw a girl sobbing in her room, her mother ignoring the fact that she is “different.” I saw eleven year old boys call her “Cat-Poo” and “Skunk-Head” because she was “different.” There were whispers of ugliness and stupidity, about a pretty little girl with an enormous mind.
I saw a pretty girl today. But nestled in her heart is a pain that won’t go away, since the one to resolve it is gone. I saw yells, to finish work faster and know numbers better. To memorize more, read more, write more, see more, speak more, and yet do everything perfectly the first time around. I saw a ten year old with an activity or two every day, run down each night by the pressure. I saw a ten year old crying that she was fat and ugly, as the children at school had told her each day, and being shown how to improve herself. I saw a girl with her eyebrows plucked, legs shaved, stomach sucked in, hair slicked down, clothes tightened, shoes heightened, food limited, teeth whitened, face painted, and hands manicured at too young an age. I saw a girl whose self-hatred was reaffirmed by a mother eager to help her daughter become perfect.
I saw a pretty girl today. Her smile shone out the brightest of anything as she laughed with all her light. That smile was put there by a man who had only one child and enough love for ten. I saw a little girl being proudly held, shone off by a man with her face, eyes, and hair. I saw a girl taking a stand against something she saw as wrong and being told she was right by a man proud to hear her voice. I saw a girl encouraged and told she was smart and important by a man who believed all of that. I saw a girl whose voice was loud because she was told it was good to be heard. I saw a girl whose hopes were high because she was told she could do anything. I saw a girl whose life was happy because she was told it was hers to make. I saw a girl whose father encouraged her where others hurt her, listened to what she said where others ignored her, and saw the value where others saw nothing.
I saw a pretty girl today. Her nose was mine, her lips were mine, and her dimples were mine. I saw a pretty girl today in the mirror and had to remind myself who it was. I saw a girl in the mirror today that I would never have thought existed before, because every time I looked in the mirror I saw an ogre that couldn’t speak. I saw a creature with no talent, nothing of value, and no one to tell them otherwise. I saw a girl whose sister was angry and whose mother was helpful. I saw a girl who wanted to slick down her hair and make it like that popular girl’s because that was the only way to fit in. I saw a girl who wanted to be an unhealthy weight because that was the weight her friends were. I saw a girl who thought the things she did were nothing because she was the one doing them. I see a girl, now, who I can be proud of.
I see a girl in the mirror. That girl is me, with her long curls and dark green eyes. That girl isn’t afraid of being different, because she’s worth it. That girl was told by a dedicated loving father that she was strong and determined, and that just like a wolf, she’d be the leader of her own life. I look in the mirror, and though sometimes I can only see the straggly eyebrow hairs creeping up my forehead and the pimple that just grew up, I also see a future, endless and full of opportunity. I can look in the mirror and smile at the girl I see.
So if you see a pretty girl today, tell her that. Tell her that she’s pretty, that’s she’s strong, that she’s important. Tell her she has a promising future, and that no matter what she does there will be those who love her. If you see a pretty girl, tell her that.

Your poem is absolutely breathtaking...after the third sentence i started crying  

[anticupid16]

NightAngels

Emma Aiii

VioletteMidnight

Thank you all so much! I really appreciate your comments biggrin