she has been told
her entire life
to feel but not show
be smart but not out loud

to bend and not break
be like rubber band

but darling,
even a rubber band loses it at the end

and you're not an unliving thing
so lose it, feel it
speak, shout if needed

and if you do break, take the time
to grow or heal
then bounce back
and repeat it over and over again

'cause that's the beauty
in living
as a person, your own
and not any metaphor of pretty things
can compare to what you are

cause you are indeed, not a thing
but a beautiful human being