All The Ways They Called Me Beautiful

In a cave of mirrors and memories,

My reflection hides no spot nor scar,

nor a figure from a sheer lack of calories.

The flinch in my bones

and the shrink in my soul

laid bare and made stark

as mementos of insecurities.

But I hear echoes

Voices call and bellow

And it’s all the ways they called me beautiful.

She says before I leave “Make sure you take pictures” and she asks when I’m back “Did you take pictures?”

He says when I enter the lecture theatre “I hope you sent Mister his daily bread”, and Mister texts just then with “Good morning my sunshine”.

Eyes escort me to my seat and if they were lips they’d be screaming in adore.

The Professor praised my sense of style, and called it “Unique”.

A colleague calls out after the class to say what all the eyes couldn’t.

A stranger coming into a shop as I walk out gasps and I catch the word “beautiful”.

A pal in a bid to sound poetic says “Your eyes shine like they have stars within” but he fails and becomes a creep when he says “I wish I could have them in a jar , so I could stare at them all day.”

The true poetic pal says “Like a rose ,there are so many layers to you and you unravel beautifully.”

Someone gave me the moniker “fairy”. He says it is the perfect word for an idyllic human and it captures my mystical wonderland aura.

An e-mail from a kind senior said “I hope you take more pictures in the sun.”

“I have missed your contagious laughter, now let’s hear it” my mentor says while on a visit.

An acquaintance said during a conversation “I wish I could to spend a day roaming the streets of your mind because it is amazing how it works.”

A friend gazed at me mid-laugh and said “You have a lovely set of teeth and a luminous smile.”

While taking a walk, a random little girl ran towards me with arms open wide and gave me the warmest hug.

A baby strapped on his mother’s back bared his cute two front teeth in a smile when I winked at him.

Scraping her plate ,a friend said “have you ever considered opening a restaurant? because you should.”

A stranger stared at me and when I refused to shift my gaze he said “pink suits you”.

A picture I thought ugly and forever gone still lives, buried as a treasure in my friend’s gallery.

My Mother constantly calls me “omo dada”

My sister with a stern focus cuts me off midsentence and threatens to cut my long lashes while I sleep at night.

Catching myself rave about one of my favourite shows I say “sorry ,I can be a total nerd sometimes” but she says “No, absolutely be a nerd, I love it.”

A thank you note said “Your heart is so warm and your kindness is refreshing”.

The old man I greeted yesterday said he’d like me to marry his grandson.

My brother used my photo as his wallpaper for a whole day.

The echoes go on;

“I am so lucky to have a friend like you”

“You should write more often”.

“You lead with so much grace.”

“That was powerful. God bless you”.

“I am proud of you for trying”.

“That is a brilliant answer”

“You’ve grown more confident.”

“You have the most hilarious facial expressions.”

And with every echo

My reflection morphs in the beauty of the words spoken.

But far above them all

is the loudest of the echoes

My maker ,the most beautiful

says I am created in His image

fearfully and wonderfully made

A Royal priesthood

A Holy nation

My true reflection emerges

And even with the scars

what a sight.

Suddenly, all the ways I am beautiful trumps all the ways I am not.

And I am thankful for all the ways they called me beautiful

with a tone of love

How powerfully they collide

to quell a familiar voice

that tells me I am not.

And all the ways they called me beautiful

is all the ways they called me so much more.

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