You have purchased bottles of beauty,
Tubes of perfection.
You apply them every morning to your
just washed ego,
telling yourself you are already beautiful,
but knowing that you won't believe it.

You leave your house feeling good
with your push up bra and your layer of
fakeness.
You know your protective layer will
slip off soon, and you are prepared.

In your bag are touch-up supplies
pencils, eyelash curlers, eyebrow combs.
You pluck as you smile into your own eyes,
and you wish you didn't have to.

Your tight pants begin to cut your skin your face hurts from smiling blankly, you begin to miss your real self, knowing that its fading away.
You are a stranger to yourself.

You are sick of the daily battle you
fight with yourself.
get out of bed style your hair. Make
yourself beautiful.
Inside you know its not worth it.
you are everyone else's brand of beauty.

but I know you cry in the night
& I understand you are insecure
because I fight that battle, too.
the battle that seems impossible to win,
but there is a way to victory.

Strive to be your own,
try to be yourself,
wash off your make-up along
with the image you want to become
take off the too-tight clothes
and the too fake smile
and you will find yourself in your
own eyes.
you need to love the self that you
will find.
because she is you
and you are her
and when mind merges with spirit,
then you will be strong.