1.I love my scars, they tell stories of survival, give life to my soul, remind me I am here for a reason, they tell me everything other people let me forget


2.I love my curves, each mountain and valley residing on my sides take pains to protrude and remind me I am soft, delicate, I deserve to be handled with care, I am a woman.


3.I love my taste buds.  So what if a steak has 3 million more calories than skinny girl’s bite of lettuce.  I am going to eat it anyways and I will be proud, and yes, I will moan, because why, my self worth is not contingent on my jean size


4.I love my laugh.  There’s something liberating about your belly shaking until it hurts, your body exploding with joy, giving another human being pleasure with just the touch of your voice.


5.I love that I’m beautiful, something you can’t touch, my glamour goes beyond my blemished skin.  I am more than the curves surrounding my center, I am ****; I am brave; I am smart.  I am fearless wrapped up into 5 feet of glee. You. Cannot. Touch. Me,


6.I love that I’m honest.  There’s something refreshing in saying, *******, you weren’t good for me anyways


7.I love that I’m faithful.  Faithful to myself, my dreams, my ambitions.  I am more than a man’s lover, I will live my life worthy to the calling I have received, regardless of what price you have placed on me


8.I love that I believe, trust in first loves, don’t doubt passion; it was sincere in the moment, but as that moment collapsed, outstayed its welcome, I believed I was more, and I will be ok, and one day, 10 years down the line, that same moment will come tapping on my door, requesting to visit an old friend


9.I guess in all I love myself, each and every blemish and bruise, every scar I’ve been given.  I was not created for your pleasure, but for His glory, I only require myself to wear that badge proudly


10.I love that I am who I am. loud, flamboyant, I am not afraid to speak my mind, which is why, I’m standing here, calling you to action.  Take a chance: love yourself.

"I don't feel anymore."
"I really envy that."

I turned on my side, the sun was peering through the window and laying ribbons of its light across her bare body. "You shouldn't envy that, Reno."

"Why shouldn't I?"
"Okay. Well, why do you?"

Her hand waved a lock of blond from obstructing her icy-blue sight. I could see the shadows of birds dance across her torso and past her face. "I'm afraid," her words spiraling from her mouth, "and I don't want to be."

"Afaid of what?"
"Everything. The world. Hunger. Bleach stains. Failure. ****** knuckles and the look of the person as they clench their nose, teary eyes and all. This. My father finding me. Dying before I get to do everything I want to do. Validation. I'm afraid of everything and I'm too young to be afraid of everything. I need two to four more years, tops."

Ten, twenty, and fifty seconds rained down the window. It felt like the wall of an aquarium, and us the aqua-blue evolution.

Rolling to her side, her hand blossomed around the curvature of my face, as I didn't know what to say. "Josh," her breath evaporating into syllables, "I'm too young for the world, so help me forget, okay?" My eyes followed her soft fingertips capped by lily fingernails, as her index and ******* walked from my stomach to between my legs.


After we made love, the water lowered on top of our heads and bodies as the steam rose. My hair was flattened against my skull, and her's gripping her back. Soap slid across her *******; lathering her abdomen, I asked her if I could see the soap. Reno scrubbed my chest and leaned into kiss me before placing it into my hand.


"When you're famous, who do you think you'll sleep with," she asked while stirring her coffee. Placing the muddy spoon on the table, she looked and added, "Who's your celebrity crush?"

"I'm not sure," I sipped my coffee before placing it next to my bagel,"I don't know."

"It's okay, buck. I know you'll forget about me when you become big, so just say."

I couldn't believe it.

"Okay, well, what's your wish, Reno?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Say who you'd sleep with."

"Well, after I carelessly throw you to the side, I'll probably sleep with Parker Posey. Then, I'll go on a date with Emma Watson and hope that goes well," I regretted the way I spoke. "Like, I can understand the question, but what's up with the second part about me leaving you?"

Reno flicked the side of her coffee cup, and then drummed. "I don't know."

"I can't do the whole you feeling like you're not good enough for me. You are. You just are. I don't want it to happen because I really like you, but I won't allow myself to go farther if you insist on the... I mean, what's wrong?"

"I don't know," she she flicked her coffee cup harder, "I don't know."

"You know, Reno. You can tell me."

Tears sat at her eyes and they disappeared in the glare, as she looked out the cafe window. "It's not easy, you know."

"What isn't?"

"Loving you," she began to rip at the skin around her thumbnail,"it's not easy because I'm afraid. I'm afraid because it might be real."

Her eyes shifted towards me, the way her hair broke the echo of sunlight. Cancer cells.

"I'm dying, Josh. Whether you love me too or not, for one year to ten to never, you'll be with other girls because I'm dying. And that's that."

We are all born as winners
But the world turns us to sinners
Just young humble beginners
In a world wrought in hate
A self-destructive fate
Demolishes our will to wait
So we procreate to satiate
The internalized aggression
To the state's possession
Of our life's great potential
Their media too influential
Over our minds it drills deep
Making our inner eye weep
The tears fall and begin to seep
Into our nightmares as we sleep
And see our eternal defeat
We are brought to the feet
Of our fears and anxieties
All wrought from insecurities
Towards superfluous identities
That we praise in a zealous craze
Overtaken by a materialist haze

with fingers of sin i had touched your core, unzipped your jeans like locked church doors and swore i would marry you one day.
they say i shouldn't love you anymore, that poems are only for those you adore—but when you left i was naked on the floor, sold my soul to the convenience store, and
to forget a ****** i kissed a *****
kissed my lips and cried no more

Some days when I wake up
All I wanna do is bust this rut
Not with any ***, girl with flow
With *******, luscious lips,
And a round ****
A girl with brains is what I want
The kind of girl with a mind to flaunt
Her eyes so round, so pretty
Getting to the point when I'm lippy
Maybe a birdy, one who's a little too
Nerdy, still keeps me on my toes tippy tippy
Till my tip starts slipping
In the bedroom getting freaky