The mirror

I looked in the mirror

And today

Instead of focusing on my flaws

On picking out everything I hate about my face

Instead of being my own worst enemy and self-critic

I looked

Really looked

At this girl

Who has been through so much

I looked

And I saw a girl who loves

Who laughs

Who plays

And I looked at photos from last year

And I realized

I am not a sixth grader anymore

I am not a silly

Short messy hair

Laughing in every photo

Did not believe in ponytails

Sixth grader anymore.

I am not a seventh grader anymore either

I am

Still young

But

Almost done with middle school

(thank God)

I am

An eighth grader

And I looked at myself in the mirror today

And I saw

For the first time

That I have truly grown up

Truly shaped myself into a human

With her own opinions and ideas

Her own life

Not an extension of my parents' or my friends'

I looked at myself in the mirror today

And saw a fourteen-year-old

Who's ready for anything.

QueenBee

VT

13 years old

More by QueenBee

  • Life

    "Life isn't about finding yourself.

    Life is about creating yourself."

    Said the big chalkboard on the wall

    In that gym lined with red mats

    And chairs and chairs and chairs

    I'll never forget

  • Busywork

    I feel useless

    Unproductive

    No one needs me right now

    Good

    I have nothing to do

    B o r e d o m.

    I can't stop thinking about you

    I assign myself tasks

    Keeping me occupied

  • It all comes back

    When I got home

    After those two days

    Passed by much too fast

    And then they were gone

    And I was changed forever

    When I got home

    I remember

    I cried and cried and cried

    From longing