if you saw him on the street
you wouldn't glance twice
because he does not look extraordinary
and he does not make your heart
skip a beat

but
when you listen to the wonderful, tinkling sound
of his laughter
and his inexcusable, almost inappropriately funny remarks
and when you happen to be lucky enough
to catch him smiling when no one is watching; he makes
your head spin

he is not the most beautiful to the rest of the world
and his eyes do not compare to the brightest of stars, his
hair is not an ocean-type mess and his freckles are not like grains of sand

instead his eyes are like like warm hot chocolate when
you are barely awake and are trying to get through the day, his hair is the
disaster that you can't help but be captivated by and his freckles are like carefully placed light orange dots that seem to connect in a way

I do not see him on the street anymore--
and that is the reason that I no longer
drink hot chocolate and why I hate the color orange
because god, he was not the most beautiful boy in the world
and he wouldn't make a stranger's heart beat twice
but he made mine
and in the end,
that was all that really mattered

Red Lipstick

What I never leave the house without

Because it ***** out all the pigment in my skin

It drowns out all my ugly features

Red Lipstick

but today

I'm going to try

not wearing it

Because if she is brave enough

to face the demons in her head

this time of year

I can face mine

I should be able to be strong too


No Lipstick

I think everyone in the station is staring at you

No Lipstick

They are all thinking you're hideous. You should be ashamed. Those poor people who are forced to look at you. Go put on lipstick

No Lipstick

Look. Can you see your reflection in the glass? See how ugly you are?

No Lipstick. But beauty is not the most important thing.

Look, it's a girl from your elementary school. She just looked at you. The prettiest girl in the class. The one the boys liked, including the one you liked for so long.

No Lipstick. It doesn't matter. I don't care what she thinks.

Yes, you do. Now you have confirmed what her friends always said. What she has always thought. You. Are. Ugly.

No Lipstick. I don't care if I am ugly.

Yes, you do.

No Lipstick. Stop! Get out of my head!

No one has ever looked as repulsive as you.

No Lipstick. I'm fine.

No you're not. You're crumbling.

No lipstick. I am not. I can do this.

No you can’t. You’re too pathetic. You are not as strong as her. You are not brave. You are fighting a losing battle.

No Lipstick. Stop hurting me!

You are not allowed to stand up for yourself. You can't talk back to me. You are too ugly to deserve to be allowed to.

No Lipstick. I hate you!

Then that means you hate yourself.

I know. And I do. But I have to do this. It’s time to prove I care more about living my life than being pretty. So No. Lipstick.