i never said i was pretty.
of course, i was told by middle age mothers in the cereal isle, but i never believed them, why should i?
i knew i wasn't pretty.
i only felt pretty enough when i spent my morning putting on my makeup and dressing in a way i knew would be enough to be pretty.
i never seeked attention from the male gaze, i seeked affirmations from my friends, i seeked to be called pretty by people who knew me
clearly, pretty was never pretty enough

-november 15, 2024