#NoFilter Scholarship Slam - CLOSED

I reached for the wood, Like it was a life preserver; Legs swinging, I held on; I was Rose and the tree was Jack, And I wasn't going to fall down; I propped myself on the branch, Looking across the…

Nobody's perfect, and I'm proud of that. If I was perfect, I'd feel too flat. A two dimensional character is what I am not. Genuine notions are what I have brought. Makeup and filter habits have been…

I am a girl. But not a girl, I am a canvas. I am a blank piece of paper, ready to be made into a masterpiece. Make me into something pure, something raw, So that I can show the world my colors.

I take a deep breath, And the filters are turned off. My eyes are dark and tired My shouders - slumped in defeat My smile is now being worried away Between my imperfect teeth My hair comes down Flat…

Vignette, grey-scale, sepia, vintage, always hiding behind the filter. Air-brush, inkwell, face bright, spot healing, feeling pretty behind the filter. Social media filled with thousands of pictures,…

Who am I? Certainly not who you see with your eye, not the person you see online, you see the person I provide. The person who tries to act cool, and will act like a fool, for my peers at school. The…

I’m sorry I cry. Please try to ignore it for now. And just know I’m sorry. You’ve never seen this in me. To you, I am joy. Every day I bring the happiness and laughs people love. Each day. Every day.…

Without a filter Without the camera Through the eyes of me I am a plaque of black. Without a filter Without the camera Through the eyes of others I am an organic Hispanic. Without a filter Without…

There’s something comical about the way she parks, haphazard into bushes as tardy bells toll and authorities fabricate detention fantasies. Cadence of subwoofer beats numbingly hard-metal tunes and…

My words hide in the back of my mind In the back of my throat, still in my mouth. Silent words that never seen the light of day. They hide in fear. Of what? You You made them fear being spoken You…

We are waiting on me to discover, that being single since 1997 and being born in the same year is ok. That not owning or wearing makeup saves time and money. That standing up for myself just because…

Disarmed of all the constructed pride Once carefully built like a house of cards The creature flows naked with nothing to hide Growing tentacles extending towards stars Unknown and alone even with…

Words left unspoken, Killing the shadows of the night. With nothing left to give, Here we are with our hearts tied. Taken by others love, With conversations left unfinished. I try to complete what…

Lover of my son No better name than mommy You make life so fun

Dear me, This is you telling yourself, That though there is a lot going on, You are alright; Now is just a moment of many more to come, And if anything you should be glad you have made it here,…

I wanted them to see me as art to stand in awe and marvel at the thought that such beauty existed but i am not a monet i am not a picasso and as they realized that their attention was dispersed…

The door slammed And it...was done. The torture came to an end. I no longer had to pretend That my parents were my friend. I suddenly began to feel Something so surreal. I felt free Finally able to…

Filters mask our true faces, Travel and filters matter less in far away places. Take away all the edits, Behind all the sarcastic wit, You will find a young woman trying to make herself fit. In small…

There goes my throat As it begins to close Tightening Strangling A noose that won’t Stop hanging Shaking fingers and Sweaty palms I can’t go on Because my legs feel Broken, too weak To take me away A…

Mask. Facade. Production. On the outside composed, cool, collected. On the inside turbulent, drowning, screaming. You say "how can I help?" One sentence, one smile changed the way I saw myself. The…

"I woke up like this" Head wrap on woke up at 5 in the morin, Do I really want to go to stats? I ask myself while I am yawin' God ave me purpose thats what I feel on my chest But the Lord knows late…

Physically, I'm distressed, but I impress by dressing my best. Emotionally, I'm a wreck, gotta stay in check to earn respect. Mentally, I'm cascaded by the replays of the days that have faded. Why do…

Spread some joy this year and, Don't be afraid to spread some cheer. Come on down to the North Pole, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Taking so much all the time. All the hours of not expressing myself Has mutated me into a secret record player. Souls can not be fooled. Foolish, fool, foolish Aidan. Gather it all together to convey…