Do I look pretty
with my hair covering my right eye
and perfect eyeliner on my left?
Do I look pretty
with my lips stained red
and blushes on my cheeks –
oh god, I am shy?
Do I look pretty
with my brown smooth skin
lathered with foundation
and my short nails painted pink?
Do I look pretty
in this black t-shirt
tightly hugging my curves, my neck, my hands?
Do I look pretty
in a blue converse shoes
and a slick jeans pant?

Did I look pretty 
for you intoxicated eyes
that you had to raise your hand?
Did I look pretty
when you touched me-
Oh so intimately
yet yelling and grabbing
and hitting me all the time?
Did I look pretty  
when you pushed me to bed
with my repeated chants of no
No matter how long I said?
Did I look pretty
with my black right eye and a cut on my lips
with bruises on my face and slits on my wrist?
Did I look pretty
when I scratched you and my nails got chipped
so you open your belt to have me whipped?
Did I look pretty 
Covering it all up
with makeup and t-shirt
from bottom to top?
Tell me just tell me
Did I look pretty
covering it all up?
Cause if you think I look pretty
and still, turn my flesh raw
I wouldn’t care
if ugliness was the only thing
you ever saw
so tell me do I look pretty?

– Sujani Shrestha

Nepal


Loading

Comments are closed