Where all she had to do was what society told her

But in her heart she knew life was not as it seemed

So she refused to allow the world to mold her

They told her to wait for a prince to help her awaken

But she was no sleeping beauty

And would never allow her strength to be taken

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

Mirror, mirror, on the wall,

One day I will learn to stand proud and tall,

I will see my curves as poetry wrapped in skin

The first thing I notice will be the wild soul within

Mirror, mirror, on the wall,

Why did I ever try and change myself at all?

The standard of beauty I try to meet

Is a waste of energy when my value runs more than skin-deep

Mirror, mirror, on the wall,

I will learn self-love even if I stumble and fall

From the time of my daughter’s birth

I promise you this

I will make sure that she never forgets her worth

I Would Have Loved You

I would have loved you,

In another life, when the time was right

I would have loved you,

Under the cover of the night, when you let down all your walls

I would have loved you,

But in order to love, you have to let yourself fall

I would have loved you,

For it would be the sweetest of connections

But now, my love, I do not seek comfort

I seek an awakening reflection

I would have loved you,

But you chose to love me when I was ready to leave you

I would have loved you,

But now it is time for me to go

I will always love you,

And because of this, I release you, so we both can finally grow

Nothing Is Worth Closing Your Heart Over

There is a fear that keeps me alive

And a fear that keeps me from living

Like a rose that blooms in the night

Out of darkness can come the most beautiful beginnings

The gates of my rib cage are open

Enter my heart anytime

My walls of protection are broken

Through vulnerability I stand in the light

Many tell me to put a lock on my gate

To protect my body’s greatest treasure

And it is true, love can hurt

But I will never close off to pain

For this is life’s greatest pleasure

Show Me Honesty

Show me an honest anger over a dishonest peace. Show me a person honestly accountable for their mistakes over a dishonest perfection. Show me the person who doesn’t claim to have the answers. Show me the person who, instead of saying, “This is the path,” says, “Go inside and discover where your path leads you.” Show me the person who is not afraid to do the ugly cry instead of wear a smile on their face that doesn’t reach their eyes. Honest self-love doesn’t look like a bubble bath or chocolate cake. Honest self-love is when the most human part of us that we feel guilty or ashamed of gets triggered, and we can look ourselves square in the eyes without judgment because our love is not conditional. We can be brave enough to become aware of our own bullshit, so that we can grow into more accepting and loving human beings. I have a lot to learn in this life. If I know something, it is that none of us escapes being human. But an honest human is capable of an honest love.