Beauty

by Aussie Rosenfeld, age 12, from US

i sucked in my stomach,
and smeared on some make-up.
and put on a size d cup.
and i thought i was beautiful.

and i couldnt quite breathe,
thought it wasnt quite good enough,
so i powdered each cheek with a powder puff.
and i though i was beautiful.

but when i looked in the mirror,
i saw nothing there,
behind this not-nearly beautiful face.
and it suddenly occured the whole time
i had been looking in the wrong place.

i couldn't find beauty in the bottom of my make-up drawer,
or by losing wieght more and more.
not in the dresses that i wear,
or the style of my hair,
but deep down inside my heart.

so i took a deep breathe,
and slowly a smile crawled up my face,
and my tongue held a taste,
of joy.

my eyes filled with cheer,
and suddenly it was clear,
that i was beautiful.