Monsters
"You look like tar" "Why does your tongue have spots on them?" "Dang you ARE BLACK!!" These are some of the things that were said over me at the tender age of 12 years old in front of our local middle school. This started the journey of hiding within myself, that I learned and became accustomed to. I just had to make it through. I told myself I would finish middle school, and then high school, and I wouldn't ruffle any feathers because I didn't want the pain that came with whatever insult may have been hurled at me. I remember way back when, when my innocence was stolen before I could even define it, before I took the first hit and started drowning. As a result of these moments though I didn't dare look at myself in mirrors or too long in photos. Up until now at 26 I had never even owned a mirror. I laid out my clothes for the day and if it looked good I put it on. People told me I was beautiful and I stare at them blankly b...