Before We Became Butterflies

Before we became butterflies,
we cried at the injustice of our worlds.
We felt-
too fat
too thin
too short
way too tall
too dark
too pale
too different.
Too everything- but beautiful.

We were confused by the changes taking place wihin our bodies.
Gasping for air,
we felt smothered by those who loved us.
"It isn't fair"and "But why do I have too?"became the jingles of our lives.
The world seemed big, and we seemed oh so small.

Our hair wasn't straight enough
or it just couldn't do anything.

No one understood us,
not even our own young selves.

But as the years slid by,
and we contemplated our destinies,
we began to see that we could shape our own futures.
And suddenly,
we were old enough to define who we were,
getting comfortable in our own skin.
And
the bullying or teasing
the glasses or the braces
the pimples or the freckles
the knobby knees or pudgy thighs
the hair that "wouldn't grow"
or the brain that "didn't seem to understand"...............

seemed like distant memories,
and
we broke out into the sun-filled world, unfolding our wings-
finding out just how beautiful we are.