For the girl on the margins…
Who has grown accustomed to tears
To loneliness
And the feeling of unwantedness
For the girl on the margins…
Who has tried her best to find a way to live
in it, through it and despite it
For the girl on the margins…
Who has tried to be strong
like her momma
And her momma’s momma
But has only found she
is sore all over
For the girl on the margins…
Who has tried to love
boldly
loudly
And is still waiting to receive
her love back
For the girl on the margins…
who has grown tired
of having to comfort you
for hurting her
for not remembering her
for hating her
For the girl on the margins…
who is angry and ashamed
for never being brave enough
for hating silence
and never choosing herself
For the girl on the margins…
who has lived in waiting
to be seen
to be loved
and is still patiently dreaming
of the one
For the girl on the margins…
taken for granted
dismissed
and has decided to make
a home in her invisibility
For the girl on the margins…
who has often wondered if
she is real
To those girls on the margins…
I will not say I love you
I will not say you are beautiful
I will not say you are strong
To those girls on the margins…
I will only say I am sorry
I am sorry it’s hard
I am sorry it hurts
I am sorry that love only seems
to break your heart
To those girls on the margins…
Breathe deeply and often
Remember laughing isn’t a crime
Crying isn’t forever
And pleasure isn’t always wrong
From the Pink Room 