Читать книгу Confessions of a Barefaced Woman - Allison Joseph - Страница 11

You sway to the music

but stick to the wall,

too shy and self-conscious,

alone in the hall.

You’re no smiling beauty,

your brown hair’s uncurled.

You’re thin and flat-chested—

an awkward young girl.

The couples walk past you

as if you’re not there.

A freshman in high school,

you think they don’t care

about what you’re feeling,

about what you see.

Will anyone listen?

You’re no prodigy.

I know what it feels like

to stand there all night.

I wish I could tell you

that you’ll be all right.

But I have no solace

for what life might hold,

won’t offer the knowledge

I know you’ve been told—

that your life will get better,

your skin will grow clear,

your shape will develop,

you’ll lose all the fears

that keep you from dancing

except in your room.

For now, keep your spine straight,

don’t slouch into gloom,

remember these moments

won’t matter so much

when you’ve learned your body

is worthy of touch.