By Shelby Larsen

Vanity.
Such a strange concept.
Not until I realized
how many times
I checked
makeup
hair
in the mirror
did I grasp…
I am vain.
I adore my reflection.
I see that girl
in the mirror.
Beautiful.
Sexy.
Gorgeous.
A goddess.
Compared to the girl
in the mirror
many years ago
who felt fat,
ugly,
nerdy,
she is flawless.
Avoiding
glass,
water,
anything reflective.
Staring
floor,
bed,
green walls,
owl posters,
anywhere but me:
in the mirrors,
in the pictures.
Thank you,
poor self-esteem,
self-hatred,
self-pity.
Blame society.
Glamour magazine.
8 th grade boys.
Unrealistic,
unattainable,
body image standards.
Today…
that girl I see
perfectly imperfect.
Without approval
society,
media,
boys.
That girl
in the mirror?
I love her.