Worth Everything

When she was little

she wore pink sparkly dresses

and sang at the top of her lungs

and danced

and hoped someone would notice.

But no one did.

No one watched her twirl

No one smiled and swooped her up

And told her she was a princess

told her she was daddy’s little girl

told her how beautiful she was.

No one showed her every day

how much she was worth

how precious she was

and she didn’t feel like daddy’s little girl.

When she got older

she stopped singing

she stopped wearing sparkly dresses

instead she wore makeup.

She stopped hoping she’d be daddy’s girl.

She couldn’t hide her confusion

behind a mask of foundation.

Her eyeliner didn’t keep anyone from seeing

the pain lingering in her eyes.

She still didn’t feel beautiful

when she looked in the mirror

she saw brokenness, not beauty.

She didn’t know how valuable she was

and she went after all the boys

because she was desperate

to know she mattered to someone

to anyone

but they didn’t know her worth either

or their own.

They needed her to be what they needed

something she could never be

and they could never be what she needed either

so one by one they broke her heart.

If you looked hard enough

you’d see the shattered pieces

reflected in her gaze

And she still didn’t know

she was beautiful.

If you tell her she is lovely

she will give you that sad smile

and say nothing

but her eyes give her away.

She doesn’t believe you

because you are only one positive voice

that doesn’t stand against the tide

of negative voices

that have lied her whole life

and crushed her soul.

She’s an empty shell

needing something to fill her

but she can’t find it anywhere.

She comes home nights

and cries

until she finally falls asleep.

She wishes she could

change herself

to be valuable

and beautiful.

Little does she know

she already is

that she is worth

everything.