years before my cycle of puberty even began,
people like you,
taught me to loathe myself.
i was very often told that i should always be me,
but when i did,
society quickly retorted, "no, not like that."
i was picked on for being quirky
but ragged on when i attempted to be average.
people wanted different
but no one wanted change
so how was that exactly supposed to work?
i was fed insults
and i bathed in self pity
and i washed my hair in humiliation
and all the rude remarks and insults that society fed me,
i threw right back up.
because it was the only things that i heard,
it was the only things that i knew
and the only things that i would think.
people like you taught me that since my skin isn't perfect,
no one would want to touch me.
people like you taught me that since i have a muffin top,
no one would want to hug me.
people like you taught me that since i don't live up to the stereotypes,
no one would want to befriend me
and people like you taught me that since i wasn't so easily manipulated into taking off my clothes and showing off the parts of me that even i didn't like to see,
boys wouldn't even dare come near me.
so when,
and if,
you get to know me,
don't blame me for not loving myself,
when people like you were telling me not to.