Loud and Proud

I believe that many say, time changes

It molds, grows, shapes, scrapes,

You

I, with tired limbs, heavy eyes, a crazy sleep schedule

Am a first generation college student

Just finished my first quarter at UCSC

I with more back and hip problems than and an elderly

Because I row more miles than ever

I with more words and knowledge than ever before

Because I have opened my mind to a whole new world

I with more friendly faces and sunsets memorized

Because I have met more memories than before

Change is never easy

Everyone knows that

It’s because you can feel it in your bones,

The air, the food, the words

Change becomes you

On the drive away from college,

I passed miles and miles of trees

I looked at myself in my bathroom mirror,

To catch a loud and proud girl staring back,

Dyed short hair with double ear piercings,

Makeup done well

And a whisper of a smile still on her lips

Her eyes crinkle

As she smiles to see herself still there