As you read what I have to say, I hope you find me to be conceited. I hope that you think I have a big ego. I hope you even hate me. 

Because the truth is, I haven’t been able to love myself since I was 15. It feels as though the past 5 years of my life were taken from me, my inner child was eaten up whole. Through abuse and complicated relationships, bad decisions and reactions, hurt feelings and damaged souls, I went through hell and back to say the least. I am not a “perfect” victim…well, I’m a survivor now. I was angry, I was bitter…I was broken. I had no sense of self, no sense of right vs wrong, because for the longest time my mind and body belonged to someone else. I was a piece of meat. Yet I made so many mistakes, so many bad mistakes that deeply hurt other people. If you know me personally, and still think I have always been the sweetest person you’ve ever met, hear me loud and clear now: I was a monster at one point in my life. My mind had shattered into a million different pieces, and I was truly a danger to myself and others. 

And for the longest time, I thought that meant that I deserved everything that happened to me. But that's not true, that will never be true. I thought it was true at one point, but no Mia. No it is not. 

So here I am now, building myself back up from rock bottom, piece by piece. So as I speak, I want you to look at me and be conflicted on how to feel. Look at me and think better of yourself. I want you to think I’m a bitch. I want you to hate me, so I can love myself anyway. 

I am Mia. 

Mia Stack. I have no middle name. 

My favorite place on this earth, 

Is in the middle of the woods at golden hour 

When I am there, 

I feel the air 

I feel the sun 

Its gold beams encasing my beauty 

It complements my golden brown hair 

And my light brown eyes, my long eyelashes falling over them 

I feel what is right 

Everything is no longer unfair 

I am what I make of myself,

I can paint myself into any collection of colors 

As beautiful and as wonderful as can be,

Into a bed of grass is where my pride smothers 

I am perfect on the outside, 

I’m conventional in the eyes of society 

But on the inside I am beautiful 

My anger and pride sitting inside of me

They smile at you evil as can be, 

Because they know they are royalty 

They know how weak you really are 

You can't take me down 

You can hear my laugh in the wind,

And the vibrance of my voice in the trees 

Im beautiful when I sing 

Small and pretty, 

Until I want to be something else 

I could scream and not be afraid 

I screamed in a fit of rage when I was 16 

My lungs boiled and burned as I let it out, 

My face streaked with tears 

I had never screamed like that before,

It scared me to finally see how much anger I had inside of me 

But now I realize that, 

Exerting a power like that is good 

It is your voice 

Scream until the windows break, 

Let it all out my Mia 

Scream and feel the flowers growing in your lungs,

You are so pretty my love

Let them destroy the patriarchy,

Destroy what wants to destroy them 

Because you will not be destroyed my sweet girl,

I won't let that happen again 

Look at you on your own two feet,

I’m smiling at you from within 

See the sun and stars look down on you,

Shining brighter for you every day 

“Look at us the way you used to Mia” 

Your heart will never be something they betray 

Look up and see that 

The world is so much bigger than you think 

You never needed that boy,

He needed you

Because look at you! 

Dancing in your room alone at night 

You feel everything he never could,

Your light shines so bright it hurts 

You get goosebumps listening to music 

You’re good with kids 

Your smile is contagious 

You’re allowed to take up so much more space than you already do 

I have freckles 

That you can only see up close 

You will only know I have freckles 

If I let you come that close 

I could hold a finger out at you 

To keep you at arms length: “NO!!” 

Or I could pull you in: “Yes my love” 

My kiss powered by strength 

I am beautiful 

I deserve a good life 

I deserve the right to love 

Of which is all around me 

As well as way up above, 

Even the sun and stars are painted with care 

Let the flowers grow in your lungs my sweet mia 

Wipe the tears off your face 

Forgive yourself my love, 

That little girl inside you 

Doesn't deserve all that pain 

You were only 15 Mia 

You were so young 

And yet here you are now 

Bigger and stronger than ever before 

Your inner child was never taken away 

I’ve been here protecting you this whole time my Mia And I will always sit inside of you 

You don’t need to protect yourself anymore, Just feel

Written by Mia Stack

Edited by Neena Tavik and Julia Brummell