I was told once

My flaws are my weakness

Told flaws we're ugly

Imperfect 

Flaws make you worthless

They said

They hammered such beliefs into my head

Until that was all I could think about

Until the fear of flaws took over me

Subdued me

Made me believe 

Flawlessness was the way to go

Made me believe I had to know

Flawlessness is what makes you grow

Not the reap you sow

Yet, now I know

After miles and miles of walking

Thinking and questioning

I made my own belief 

My flaws are what mold me

I'm like a little lump of clay

Messy at first 

Maybe I’ll never mold and become a marvelous pot

Like the rest of the lot

But I know this

My flaws make me victorious 

My flaws are every part of me 

They're here to stay

I won't push them away

Or try to cover them up

Like you can with makeup

I am dignified when they call me a liar

Whole when they call me empty

Bold when they call me crazy

When really, I'm just trying to be my unapologetically authentic me 

It's taken some time

Until I finally realized, I don't have to hum along to society’s rhyme

I’ll sing my own tune

March to my own drum

Won't let the hands that belittled me mold me any longer

Because see

My messy little clay lump is me

But STRONGER

So yeah

Maybe I'm a liar

Maybe I’m crazy

But I’ll tell you this

I sure as heck ain’t empty 

I had my flaws to remind me

Remind me that I'm so pretty

Even when others refuse to see

Refuse to believe 

Refuse to accept all of me