Stripes

My stripes give me a name
they make me a part of a group
they determine who I am
and what I will become

My stripes are my recognition
they help my children
to identify me as mother
as protection and their nurturing parent

My stripes are dangerous
others see them as a threat
they stand as their warning
that I am powerful and ferocious

My stripes are wanted
and in a lot of cases taken
right off my back from me
Well, whats left of me

My stripes give me a price
they are sold to fashion industries
who claim them as fashion necessities
but I claim them as survival necessities

My stripes should be mine
mine and only mine
they belong on my back
and I deserve a chance to live

Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time,
Isn't that how all happy stories go
But this fairy tale ends differently
and trust me you don't know...
Well there was this girl
Born optimistically but changed
Ever since a friend named envy
Impacted her life and started a chain
She was pretty but never told
She was talented ever so greatly
With writing, athletic abilities
And an upbeat lively personality
But others saw her
through a distorted mirror
Her talents minimized to nothing
And her charisma queried
She stood behind her sister
But wanted desperately to be beside her
She stood in the shadows of her glory
Inside her envy started to spur
Her sister had it all
The attention, friends, the boys
Her sister was keeper
Her emotions were played with like a toy
Her sister who always drew attention
Since the first day of middle school
Denied her popularity constantly
And hated her attention and rule
She denied when guys liked her
To make her seem less perfect
But it just pissed the girl off
How could she have such defects?
Guys who seemed interested
Immediately had her attention
Again she found their objective
To ask her sister the question
This girl believes to be forever alone
With having not one experience
Of the comfort and joy of infatuation
Her confidence drained and esteem rinsed
Never had the one compliment
That brightened her day
Or been asked for a hug
Because she was just weird in a way
Nobody believed her and her sister could possibly be related
They looked nothing alike
Her sister was gorgeous
And she was not of anybody's like
Well she still dwells in her shadows
But definitely not alone hardly
Because her companion is beside her
Remember her friend Envy?
I know this girl's story
Like the back of my hand
Because her hand is mine
Writing this poem, firsthand
Unfortunately this is the end of the story
And no it's not a fairy tale
Sorry for the misleading beginning
I felt like this needed to be unveiled