If you think you’re ugly just remember that the people who gave you that skewed sense of beauty by which you are gauging yourself aren’t worth your time anyway. (Facebook status)

I came to the rooms deficient
in self-esteem, unable to vocalize
my thoughts, my feelings,
slavishly parroting my “authority,”
the person who willingly usurped
my id, my me, my will.

I found in the rooms lovers,
loving the covert me,
seeing thoughts, feelings,
a me worth being, worth knowing,
worth finding; loving
the nascent id, the psyche until
I could see, could feel, could be.

I learned in the room to love,
freed from resenting forces, people,
who stripped the soul from my child within.
I found in the room others sharing my lack,
my insecurities, my doubt.
I learned in the room not to blame
but to love them, bringing full circle
the love that led me to own
my me.