To Every Person Who ever told me I was Beautiful

Thank you
For being the knights in shining armor that swept me away from my negative mindsets
For being the quiet hand on my shoulder that told me that fingers down throats
Were one…two many lies I was way too willing to accept
For being the frogs I didn’t have to kiss
In order to receive a happily ever after for myself
Thank you for being the mirror on the wall
Who did not feed me false hopes
But truth that I could swallow even though I was hesitant

To every person who ever told me I was beautiful
Even my parents
Although I assumed it was your job to hand me compliments on gold platters
Just so that I could get through a day dressed in everything baggy
So no Barbie could stiffly point out the flaws that already screamed at me from the top of every curve
Thank you for teaching me that beautiful comes from the heart that beats underneath the extra skin and the passion that swims around it stretching to my fingertips, which touch lives
And ripples into another young woman who fights her own demons of negative mindsets
Two fingered trolls that ask for two worded eight letter passwords
Starting with YOUR and ending in SOUL

To every person who ever told me I was beautiful
To which I responded with a quiet and unbelieving
Awh, thanks
I wasn’t being sarcastic when I said it
I meant it with every glance I couldn’t give you after receiving the compliment
I had continuously refused
Know that it was because of your
“You are beautiful” that I can look in the mirror and not turn away as if the face weren’t even my own
Thank you for planting seeds that are now rooted in my being
And creating in me a queen who doesn’t need the idea of a king
To define her allure
Thank you for the bridge built on positivity that I could cross ignoring two fingered trolls asking what the password is
To every person who ever told me I was beautiful,
I thank you
With every right-sided dimple
Un-moisturized hand
Hip handle
I thank you