Brilliant
January 22, 2018
Once a girl was born with glowing hair.
“So pretty!” everyone said when she was younger. “I’m so jealous!”
But she did not want them to be jealous,
and she did not wish to make others feel less beautiful.
So she covered her hair with a hat.
It was itchy and uncomfortable, but she kept it on.
But strands slipped out, and bit by bit people began to notice.
“We can’t all have glowing hair,” someone joked once. Their tone an accusation.
They meant well. A joke.
But she did not wish to cause resentment.
The glowing girl. That’s all she’ll ever be to them.
And now she sits with scissors in her hands.
Kathrine Esten • Jan 23, 2018 at 9:26 AM
Bit of a dark poem, but aren’t those the best poems? This poem in particular does a great job of making readers think more deeply about how appearance influences our interactions both with each other and our own self-identity. Looking forward to reading more from you, Mylee!