Once, I Was Ugly

I was ugly once.
I heard that popular girl say it.

Crooked teeth,
acne prone,
cheap clothes barely hangin' on
to 16-year old bones.

She and her friends laughed as I walked by.

With their designer rags
and beauty shop dos;
they already had a physique
that I despised.

Cleavage exceeding,
grown woman hips,
skin tight jeans, and
fuschia painted lips.

They had their choice
of the popular guys,
the guys that "ugly" girls
snuck a peek at out of the
corner of sad eyes.

And I spent way too much time
not looking at me,
even though my mirror reflected
individuality.

I envied that popular girl
who gave out popular love,
until she ended up pregnant and
strung out on drugs.

It’s funny, true love found me
and I was quick to forget
that once I was ugly;
and that girl- once
popular- said it.