To the girl in my fourth grade class
Who minimalized my award,
Making my accomplishments unimportant.
I forgive you.

To the other girl in my class
Who convinced me that none of
The other girls liked me.
I forgive you.

To the group of girls
Who watched me cry numerous days in the cafeteria
Because I sat alone,
Uninvited, unimportant,
During lunch.
I forgive you.

To the same group of girls
Who didn't see me cry at 10th birthday party
Because none of them had cared to show up.
I forgive you.

To the ******* the bus
Who picked on me daily,
Causing me to return home in tears everyday.
I forgive you.

To the girl in the fifth grade
Who called me fat at the lunch table.
I forgive you.

To the same girl
Who told me that I couldn't wear my
American Girl shirt because the color of my skin
Meant that I wasn't American.
I forgive you.

To my friends
Who hadn't dare speak up on my behalf.
I forgive you.

To my mother
Who made me invite her to my birthday party,
You're lucky that she didn't show up.

To all of the kids out there
Who dread going to school,
Dread looking at themselves in the mirror,
And dread existing,
Forgive the bullies and forgive yourself.

Forgive yourself
For allowing them to tear you apart
And get so deep
Under your skin that parts of them still remain.

To myself. I forgive you.