black eyeliner isn't for the faint-of-heart

(1): beauty
      /ˈbyo͞odē/
noun: a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.


so black that it’s purple / i take off the bottle’s cap delicately / wipe off the excess / it’s pure darkness / pure noncomformity / pure love / i align the brush with my eye / my hands are shaking / i hope i produce something beautiful / but this isn’t art, is it? / the lines aren’t straight / but i’m not perfect / is perfect what they want from me? / i gaze into the painted eyes in front of me / i feel beautiful / why is this so foreign to me / who am i doing this for / i’ve got no one to please / but right now / rainwater has purified me of my scars / scars from their hateful words / because today / i’m the only lover i’ll ever need.

(2): judgement
       /jəjˈmen(t)/
noun: an excessively critical point of view.


written on my body / “worthless” / “unattractive” / and hateful words i can’t speak of / the rain poured down / in bathrooms where i felt confident / but now the drought envelops me / and when all is left behind / there’s judgement / and maybe this is why my mother told me that / “you can’t wear black eyeliner in suburbia” / and i know she means well / but adorning myself with artistry / is probably my only escape and / now in frustration / i press the bristles on the corners of my eye so there’s no finesse / because i’m not perfect / and they’ve made that excruciatingly clear / i wish one day i could feel beautiful in front of others / but that day will never come / so black tears run down my face / the liner is ruined / i hope my unattractiveness blinds them.

“beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” they said.
but they don’t tell you that so is judgement.


 

rishi_jraman256

NC

14 years old

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