One friday night.

As she carefully applied gloss over her lips
She saw in the mirror
A pretty girl staring back at her.
She gazed and gazed, strained her eyes
But try as she might she couldn’t recognize
The large eyes surrounded by glittering gold
Cheeks flushed pink.
She shoved into the back of her mind
Tumultous thoughts about which she couldn’t help but think.
She cautiously coated each nail an icy blue
She frantically searched her mind
Hoping for a clue
What had led to this alteration of her character
When did she become so shallow? Since when did acceptance matter?
He had made her feel invisible all her life
Now to approach her, he felt daunted
And there were so many more like him who couldn’t see past her dress
Was this really what she wanted?
Gone were her days of careless abandon
Riding on swings, reading books under the sun
How she had craved for this attention back then.
Would exchange this illusion in a heartbeat for something genuine.
As the realization hit her, she felt a huge weight lift.
She didn’t need to be who they thought she was.
It wasn’t too late, she could change back just as swift.
To the girl she always used to be,
who must still be somewhere inside.
From today she would reign free
For there was no need to hide
She felt a glow in her heart
As her lips opened up in a smile.
She undid her bun and washed her face
And picked up a book she hadn’t read in a while.