ThingsToldUs
Poetry & Art

The Things They Should Have Told Us: Poetry Series

Versions of Beauty 

Ladies, 

please stop thinking that the only version 

of beauty is plaster on billboards 

and strung between the covers of magazines.  

 

Your freckles? 

They’re your own personal constellations. 

Your love handles? 

Just a little extra you to hold onto.  

Your frizzy hair? 

The lioness inside you struggling for freedom. 

 

You are so much more than 

what the world says you can be. 

You are stunning, 

inside and out. 

Cherish the  

boundlessness 

of your beauty.  

 

The Beauty in the Breakdown 

Things fall apart. But that doesn’t mean they’re no longer beautiful. – WRDSMTH 

Just because you are broken, does not mean you are not beautiful. In fact, you are beautiful because of your brokenness. Your beauty lies in the unique way you’ve fit your jagged edges back together to create an entirely new whole, utterly unlike the one you started with.  

Your fortitude is gorgeous. Don’t allow yourself to feel shamed by these fragile pieces you’ve worked so hard to salvage. In this world, where broken things are so easily discarded, be proud to have had the strength to stay the course. Be proud that you have not abandoned yourself to the world’s filthy hands. You have looked inside yourself and transformed the pain into prosperity. You have overcome. 

So, wear your brokenness like a badge; proof that you have been to the edge, and your strength will always bring you back. 

 

Stars 

Never forget who you are, 

even as the universe tries to  

tattoo its constellations onto your skin.  

 

You are your own galaxy, 

your stars are enough.  

 

So Much More 

We have been boiled down to 

the sum of our parts. 

But,  

we are so much more than 

full breasts, flat stomachs, 

and the spread of our legs. 

We are so much more than 

the black hole of satisfaction 

you’ve used us for. 

We were destined to be 

so much more than 

fodder for your sexual fantasies.  

We are larger than your storytelling, 

and we will not be contained by your 

petty conceits. 

 

Healing 

Escape the past 

because 

it feels good. 

Shrug off the disappointment 

you thought would crush you, 

purge yourself of all the ill feelings 

harbored in your gut, hidden from those 

who stoked up the malice in your heart. 

 

Let loose 

and let go 

of what went wrong. 

 

Admit it, 

you’ve been the salt in your own wounds. 

But, it’s time to brush off the maggots, 

sew up the torn edges, 

and finally 

let it heal. 

 

The Things They Should Have Told Us 

Little girl, 

you should know – 

your beauty comes from your soul, 

not from the swing of your hips; 

Your power comes from your voice, 

not from your loins. 

 

Don’t let the world  

take your defiant confidence, 

the spirit that blazes like  

a beacon in the night. 

Though there will be those 

who try to steal the best bits of you, 

understand that this secret strength is your 

greatest weapon.  

You have always been a warrior, 

you’ve just been waiting for a battle to fight.  

  

Queens of the World 

Don’t let the masses 

make you feel anything less than 

beautiful, capable, 

powerful.  

 

You are a queen, baby girl.  

 

Grab your scepter, 

straighten your crown, 

and show this world 

how you rule. 

 

 

Author: JessicaRose Hutchins
Email:  [email protected]
Author Bio: Just your average 27 yr old, trying to cure my wanderlust by moving from city to city, and capturing my experiences in verse. I find inspiration in all things, from seemingly insubstantial encounters to my most painful moments. When I began writing, it was to purge myself of all the thoughts and feelings I could never speak aloud; and now, I write to reach others who have felt silenced by their fear (of the world, of themselves, of failure, etc.). Writing has liberated me from that fear, and I hope that sharing my poetry can help others to liberate themselves.
Link to social media or website:  Instagram @lady_jrose

 

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