Potato sacks, we jumped in
I always won the race
First place on my face.

A plaque, a trophy taller than my grin
Ribbons, certificates, medals
In the top 3, I remember the pleasure it brought me
When I would defeat the boys, especially.

Standing in front of a crowd
Here is a story, a story you should hear.
I memorized all these words
My heart so in it all.

Gazing in the mirror of who I am now
Brighten my color up, sweet hair dresser
As deep conversation on life and love
Lick like flames around us
Everyone just wants to be loved
Everyone wants to feel free
Everyone wants what they want
But mostly,
Everyone wants validation.

I sought it out,
Stuck my pinky finger through the holes
Of smoke clouds I denied for two years
Of empty whiskey bottles
Your bitter cigarette kisses
I seem to still haunt myself with
You answer sometimes, sometimes you don't
But I know at the end,
You will always just be happy for me
In the village of you
Filled with only you.

A half empty apartment
A girl from college also goes to Chicago
But I don't feel the need to chase the past
I go my own way.

A moment of remembering this time
Before, a cap & gown
The biggest moment besides marriage
Everyone likes to proclaim
Preach, teach, leech
But we are the generation of change.

I am change.
I am freedom.
I am ******.
I am powerful.
I am a goddess of my own life.

Blonde hairs above lips
Sweating in the sun
Lets not disturb the crowd with music
But I throw down, don't worry
I'm no ******* clown
All the boys and girls watch me
As I dance.

Playing the part of the night
I shudder when insecure boys
Ask me about my acting
As if I were a mannequin
I don't have answers to most things
I don't try to pretend to be wiser than you
But I listen, I feed, and I leave
A positive mark behind.

Validation through whoever you are dating--
A factor, a choice most women seek
But I intellectualize it
No binoculars on my eyes,
In time
Bravery will caress my name.

A dark little abode I've known for so long now
Mama wants to know what I think of her writing
Beautiful, nice repetition, meaning
I text back
I text back
I text back
I text back
I text back
I text back
I text back
I text back
I text back.

Like a flurry of volcanic emotions
I see them, like lost banshees fly past me
I know I'm not alone in this
All the young women and I
We lift our heads up.

Confession:
I thought I would look around at age 24
With my glasses and blonde hair
And I would have it all figured out
But I journey on
Bravery never felt so good.