Poem: "Mama, Am I Pretty?"

A Coming of Age Poem, by C.J. Heck

When I was a child on the borderline of puberty, I compared myself with other girls in my class at school and I felt very self-conscious.

Mama never made a big deal about our outside looks. Her concern for her six children centered mainly around our having good values, manners, morals, and cleanliness. Those attributes were far more important to her than our worries about how we look.

Still, it mattered a great deal to me. So one day after school, I gathered my courage and I talked with Mama. The following was written based on our conversation that day:

Mama, Am I Pretty?
by C.J. Heck

Mama, am I pretty?
"Why do you ask?" She said.
She held me closely to her
and kissed me lightly on my head.

"Your clothes are neatly ironed,
your face and hands are clean.
You're such a sweet child, little one,
what does your question mean?

Mama, am I pretty?
I really need to know.
Am I pretty like the other girls
at school where we all go?

"You have a very loving heart.
You're gentle, kind and good.
Your friends all think the world of you,
anybody would."

But Mama, am I pretty?
Sometimes kids point and stare.
I've got these real thick glasses
that I wish I didn't wear.

Mama said my time would come,
be patient and I'd see.
The things that really matter
were there, inside of me.

BUT MAMA!  AM I PRETTY?!!
I didn't mean to shout ...
Then mama smiled and told me,
"Sweetheart, yes, inside and out."

-*-

[from the book, “Barking Spiders 2”, by C.J. Heck]

Grateful acknowledgement to the following, where this poem first appeared:

Tales 'n Rhyme Magazine.
Purpose Magazine, by Mennonite Publishing House.
Ultimate Guide to Celebrating Kids II, by Bluegrass Publishing.

Poet/Writer/Author of 5 books.
Quora Top Writer 2018.
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