Pretty Girls Don’t Cry.

pretty girls don’t cry,
but this one might.
she might feel the pain you leave in her heart
might feel the anxiety of not measuring up
is she skinny enough?
is she funny enough?
does she light up the room when she enters?
does she please you?
make you feel good?
leave silently once you’ve had your fill of her body?
does she listen to the lies of love
rolling off your tongue like waves of ecstasy?

this pretty girl cries.
words won’t cut the clouds of doubt in her mind
the ones she’s been listening to for as long as she can remember
words won’t cut
because she can see the truth in your small gestures
the hesitance before calling her beautiful
the tiredness in her times of need
the blunt refusal to appreciate her for who she is

pretty girls cry,
so don’t hurt her.