Accepting "Ugly"

Far back, in the midst of when the world was very young,

Hatched three eggs, the size of a plum.

Out of them danced three marvelous chicks;

Covered with thick, yellow plumage about their hips.

Though one large egg, the size of a barn,

Was stewing underneath a mother ducks warmth.

When suddenly two meager feet broke through.

Mother duck gasped at what she’d just brewed.

The duckling was white.

She didn’t resemble her fellows,

Due to the fact her plumage wasn’t yellow.

And mother duck, disgusted by her daughters white color,

Named her “Ugly”,

Allowing her to be harassed by others.

Unwanted by her mother,

Unwanted by others;

Ugly duckling cried,

Ugly duckling blubbered.

Then one day a magical hen appeared,

And promised to make her ugliness, disappear.

So Ugly duckling asked for yellow plumage about her hips,

And for her abnormal, black beak to be fixed.

She’s longed to look like her sisters since young,

And with a wave of a wand, the job was done.

With thick yellow plumage about her hips,

Ugly duckling believed she’d be rich;

With happiness and content,

But all she found,

Was sadness everywhere;

All around.

Ugly duckling saw her reflection in the pond,

And was very ashamed of what she had done.

She realized that her white plumage made her unique.

It was who she was;

A girl with white feathers, and a black beak.

She no longer wanted to look like everyone else,

Realising all she had to do was be accepting of herself.

So ugly duckling begged the hen to change her back,

And when she did,

Ugly duckling didn’t look back.

And as she stood still,

At the edge of the pond,

She finally realized,

She’d always been a beautiful swan.