Flawless

They preach that the best qualities

are the ones that aren’t on the outside,

but the ones that shine

from within.

Yet from a young age

I was taught that my beauty

was all that defined me.

You won’t get anywhere

in life, if you aren’t

society’s perception of

“beautiful”.

Beautiful.

What is beautiful?

For a long time in my life

“flawless”

was not the word

that I would have equated

with myself.

I’m not tall,

nor slender,

nor tanned to a golden perfection.

I am not the poster child

for society’s views on beauty.

I used to believe that this meant

that I would never be thought of as

“beautiful.”

Yet, one day,

I woke up and realized that

my beauty isn’t defined

by the clothes I wear

or the way that my hair falls.

I am flawless

when my heart

goes out to all those around me.

I have a heart that bleeds compassion

for everyone and everything.

I am flawless

when my smile

always manages to

stay on my face,

even when I feel like falling apart.

I am flawless

when my soul

aches to make a difference

in the world around me.

I am flawless

when my laughter

sometimes sounds more like

a cackle,

and often leaves me breathless.

I am flawless

since I stopped caring how

our society perceives me,

and I was flawless

even before I did.

I am flawless

when I

know that I am flawless.