By Laily Berjis, TIWP Student

“Can you remember who you were,
before the world told you who you should be?”
― Charles Bukowski

Who was I, before the world told me who I should be?
I was colors of freedom in the morning light.
Before the mirrors reflected a version that wasn’t truly me,
I was the moon with no shadow,
a ball of joy untouched by the weight of judgment.
Before the societal standards were written in ink I couldn’t erase,
before society carved out lines in my skin with its stare,
before always being told to smile,
before there was an idea of what was considered “normal,”
I existed in a place where being was enough,
where growth wasn’t just about blending in.
Before I began to doubt my own worth,
before I was told that I was too much,
now, too little,
before I learned to apologize for every single thing.
Sorry for speaking my truth, for being too loud.
Who was I before the world told me who I should be?
I was a child without fear or limits
and the world had not yet taught me how to feel small.