Writer: Sofia Gong

This girl on my sports team, 

Never looks at herself in the mirror. 

She comes to practice early

And leaves late.

Her hair glistens under the sun

Muscles tight as she aims for the ball

A layer of thin sweat glows upon her sunburned skin.

Her profiles make the coaches impressed

Boys stop to stare as she walks past.

Every win for our team

Comes from her

As so everyone whispers.

But she dismisses every compliment:

“It was just luck”

Was her mantra

“Look at yourself in the mirror”

I say,

“Don’t you see how perfect you are?”

She shakes my words off her shoulders

Not good enough are the words always on her mind

But she never admits.

This girl on my sports team,

Is too scared to look at herself in the mirror. 

When will she learn

That everyone accepts her as who she is?