Like fragile sprouts, desperate for sunshine
In the shadow of our perception of beauty  
We are blocked by society 

Society embeds insecurities into the soil where it expects a healthy plant
Society restricts the roots of a growing seedling because long roots make a plant too stubborn 
Society demands a healthy stem even when it hasn’t been nurtured
Society unleashes pests who feast on the leaves of a sprouting bud 
And society stays unchanged from one generation to the next

 We’re told that natural is beautiful
That we’re beautiful just the way we are 
At the same time...
 Influencers guarantee a product will mask our acne
But a full face of makeup “hides our natural beauty” 
 We’re told to eat smaller portions to achieve the ideal body type 
But we can’t eat too little or we’ll be “too skinny,” and that's not attractive 
They tell us to put effort into what we wear 
But don’t put in too much effort, because “it’s lame to care about appearances”

How can we feel beautiful just the way we are 
when we’re taught to change every part of ourselves? 
Society expects us to be confident when it shows us every reason not to be
Well, what’s wrong with my acne? 
What’s wrong with my body?
What’s wrong with my style?

Always shortest in my class, loving twinkle toes and rainbow loom bracelets,
my height was never a burden 
Until Snapchat trapped me in my own insecurities 
  Falling further and further away from innocence, 
  Feeling as if I were in an elevator
The same sickness in my stomach 

A teenage girl is an empty can
Crashing with a harsh echo, dented, failing to get back up
Instead, we must be full,
Made stronger,
When pushed down, fall without scars,
And pick ourselves up

Like fragile sprouts, we can grow into something extraordinary
So why does it matter that we have longer roots?
That we have a shorter stem?
That we have an extra leaf?  
That we’re different 
Because it’s what makes us beautiful

Process

Society undermines issues surrounding mental health and beauty standards for teenage girls. As a high school student active on social media, I see edited videos and photos and idealize a body and face that is different from mine. The reality is that many teenage girls suffer from the same issue, torn between society’s perfect girl and the person they see in the mirror. My poem “Fragile Sprouts” highlights the cruelty and impracticality of society’s beauty standards.