Oh for a straight nose and lashes that curl!
O how I long to be a pretty girl.
Mousy hair, eyes set too wide, crooked teeth,
ears far too big; don’t make a pretty girl.
Feet too big and legs too small, skinny arms
and scrawny neck, not quite the pretty girl.
Use this lotion, grandmother friend says, and this
herbal cream, will make you a pretty girl.
I crimp my hair, tweeze my brows, pinch my nose,
boys still do not call me a pretty girl.
But when I sing, my nephew laughs, he thinks
I am the best; the mostest pretty girl.
My mates are always there for me, they don’t
give two hoots that I’m not a pretty girl.
I write, recite, I ski, surf, swim; I dance,
I laugh, have fun; more than a pretty girl.
She sashays out of fashion mags, pouts her
lips, sways her hips; now that’s a pretty girl.
She plays the harp? Or writes a play? No way!
It’s pretty pointless being a pretty girl.
So Poonam, do let your spirit unfurl.
There’s more to you than being a pretty girl.
Poonam March 19
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