Things I Wanted When I Was 10
By: Zoë A. Everett, 4th Place Division 3
I wanted to be you,
because when I saw you
I saw myself.
But I am not blonde,
I don’t freckle in the summer.
My friends were darker than me,
and I think it’s ugly how I felt
prettier because of it.
But the boys only liked the blonde girls.
And I was not blonde, and I
didn’t think I was pretty.
My friends would tell me I’m lucky,
because my eyes aren’t “chinky”
and my hair isn’t stick straight.
Soon enough, they would hate me
because of it.
My mom would tell me that I
wasn’t going to be accepted.
Because I’m only half,
because I’m prettier.
I wanted to look at you,
and not judge you on how
fair your hair was,
or how nice your blue eyes were.
I wanted to look at myself,
and see the same love.
About the Poet: Environmental Biology student at Boise State University with a love for both the sciences and the arts. Writing poetry and painting are her favorite hobbies, especially in the beautiful country of her homestate, Idaho. Blue girl in a red state, trying to make small differences in the world through her work and word.