Becoming Me

From a young age I was sculptured

To please the looking eye

Smile and be polite they say

Don't let them see you cry

Dress to impress, be stoic

First impressions mean the most

A worthy child listens

A parent sure to boast

I adopted this sweet notion

That I need not be rough

If I had outside validation

Then I was sure enough

If I did not have it

Surely I had failed

Driven by anxiety

My train nearly derailed

I learned it didn't matter

What everybody thought

I am my own person

I let my ego rot

I'm rising from the ashes

As I'm becoming me

I don't need their approval

Finally I'm free