Borealis 2015-2016

Beautiful I love how in this society we are told constantly to be beautiful, Through ads, commercials, peers, family, What is this “Beauty” our mothers have tried to teach since the moment we came out of her womb and the doctor said she was a “beautiful baby girl”. We have no choice in the matter of our lives, We are the ornaments of society, The eye candy for the men on the streets, In the bars, At work Or in school. Beautiful: Staying outside until the sun sucks the life out of our skin, until it’s that gorgeous golden brown, Beautiful: letting the bleach or dye seep into our skulls, consume our brain cells, to get that lovely blonde hair. Beautiful: Exercising until we collapse from exhaustion or fatigue just to wear those athletic short- shorts to show off our ass. Beautiful: going for months without food, or puking when we do eat, just to fit in that size 2 prom dress he told her she’d look sexy in. Beautiful: falling for the first man that whispers he loves you in your ear and giving him everything you are, just to wake up with him out of your life and you brandished a slut. Beautiful is not changing myself for those around me, Beautiful is not giving my everything to those who don’t give a damn, Beautiful is being confident in the looks my mother and father gave me, Beautiful is putting myself as top priority, not those who’ll use me then discard me like a snake shedding its skin, Beautiful is living your life the way you want, doing what makes you happy, taking the course of your life in your hands and holding fast to your dreams and goals. Don’t let go! . . . Beautiful. . . Women are not sex items, nor are they at anyone’s disposal. We are strong, we are bright, we are badass! These wide hips carry the weight of generations, Of my ancestors who were exploited for their virginity and appearance. Women were men’s property, at men’s mercy. In the Scarlet Letter, Hester slept with a priest and he turned on her, She became shunned and ostracized, Forced to display a red “A” for adulterer, and for years was tyrannized. Woman deserve better, Yes! Women deserve the right to say, “NO, I do not want to date and or have sex with you.” “ No , my body is not for sale, nor is it yours.” “ No , I have a future for myself and I will not let you ruin it.” Beauty is not complacency, Beauty is the way you are who you are, and do what you do, your body and soul are yours and only yours, And NO ONE can take that beauty away from you! Gwen Stevenson 5.7

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