There was a time in my life
When I refused to look in the mirror
I was too ashamed of my own face
Which was red from all these tiny explosions
That this monster called ‘acne’ had created
My body was so angry with me
And the evidence was all over my face
And I cried and I cried
And I hid from myself for so long
When the lights were off
I was free
The darkness liberated me
From my own criticism
And then one day
I turned the light on
And I stared at myself
And I forced myself to look past
The red on my face
And instead feel the red blood
Rushing in my veins
The same red blood that carried
All my passions, desire, and love
And I told myself
Dammit,
I am beautiful.
Shilpa Prasad is currently a pre-med student at Boston University. In her free time she loves to dance, read and binge-watch TV shows! Her goal as a writer for Brown Girl Magazine is to connect with girls all around the world by sharing her own unique experiences and ideas.
