i used to think
my face was something
i had to apologize for.
every mirror became a test,
every new mark
another reason to look away.
i learned the art of angles,
of lighting,
of keeping my face just far enough
from the camera.
but my skin was never meant
to be untouched.
it has been through late nights,
stress, tears,
hormones,
and days i still showed up anyway.
maybe clear skin
was never supposed to be
the proof that i was beautiful.
maybe my face
doesn’t need to look perfect
to belong to me.
so i’ll stop treating
every imperfection
like an emergency.
my skin is allowed
to be human.
and so am i.
Kids Help Phone (KHP) is honoured to share creative content submitted by youth from coast to coast to coast as they Feel Out Loud with us. We thank the Feel Out Loud Community Creator of this piece for their contribution to youth mental health and well-being in Canada. For more information on the Feel Out Loud Community Creator Space and / or how you can submit your own creative content for possible publication, you can visit the submission page.
