**Beautiful In Flight**

Be not one to tarnish
your self esteem by
climbing mountains
of others’ expectations

stand up for your beliefs
bring them into sunlit day
& out of darkest night

dare to dream your own dreams
lest you enter an abyss
of others’ nightmares
quagmires of doubt

tap into hidden strengths
& object to old school thought
& expound others’ worth

do not fear being rejected
based on the unacceptable
you are universally a part
of being beautiful

be recognized on your own merit
splendid & vast as oceans
quiet but fearless in all

sing out among starry skies
be brave as birds in flight
ply your wounds in love
be bold…you are here

© March 2017 Renee Espriu

Posting a day late but this is for Jamie Dedes’ prompt for International Women’s Day. You can read more at https://jamiededes.com/2017/03/08/celebrating-international-womens-with-poem-et-al.

Photo Taken From Morgue File & Digitized by Myself