We all have special people in our lives. Ms. Stephanie Crayton has been one of those special people for me during my work with the UNC Eating Disorders Program. We were honored to have her be one of the panelists at the UNC screening of Miss Representation on February 27th. The first speaker on the panel, she set the tone for an afternoon of honesty and passion by sharing this poem with us. By allowing us to share her words, Stephanie is helping us to inspire others to be themselves and to make the world a more accepting place.
Do you see me?
Unpublished work © 2012 Stephanie Crayton
Do you see me?
Do you see who I REALLY am?
Or do you see the person who I want you to see?
Full of life, love, laughing hysterically…
Do you see me?
Do you see who I REALLY am?
Or do you see the person who I want to be?
Strong, independent, approaching life daringly…
Go ahead take a look
Take a long look
Do you see my tightly coiled, kinky hair?
You know the hair that causes you to try and not to stare
No longer straight, smooth and shiny, swinging in the wind like so…
Oh, and do you see my full lips and wide nose?
They stand out in a crowd, you know.
And the imperfections in my skin?…
Clue you in on the time of month and sometimes the amount of stress I am in.
Not to mention my sometimes-bulging stomach and my curvaceous hips…
Not quite the hourglass figure you were looking for?
Just remember what I said about my nose and my lips.
But you know, it’s ok; it’s all good really.
‘Cause you see when I see me,
I see a beautiful black queen.
One who is regal and divine…
This hair, nose, stomach and these hips, I love because they are mine.
When I step in to any room all eyes are on me.
Not because I’m a supermodel but because of my unique beauty.
Do you see ME?
Can you see who I REALLY am?
No, I may not be what you wanted me to be
*Society’s prescription of beauty
But can we simply agree…that I am who God created me to be?
(*not part of original work)
Introduction by Dr Cynthia Bulik
Poem by Stephanie Crayton
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