7th grader delivers powerful message in slam poem
When a 7th grade writing class at Queen Creek Middle School presented poems for their end of year assignment, one student stood out with a powerful message
Posted by 12 News on Thursday, May 25, 2017
Middle school is arguably the most awkward time in anyone’s life. You’re no longer a child, but you’re also not a teenager or adult. Puberty has graced you with its presence, and navigating your identity is a daily struggle.
A 7th grader from Arizona is being praised this week for shedding some honest light on what goes through the mind of a 12-year-old girl.
Olivia Vella was assigned the project of creating a slam poem about something she was passionate about. Her performance, “Why Am I Not Good Enough,” became a rally cry across the Internet after her raw and honest words resonated with people far beyond her classroom walls.
“One. Take a shower. You don’t want to smell.
Two. Pick out an outfit that will fit in with the latest trends, and won’t make you the laughing-stock of the school—more than you already are.
Three. Put on some makeup so you can actually show your face in public and be a little bit pretty.”
Olivia broke down the inner struggles of what it’s like to be a girl in this world with just 12 steps. Twelve negatively fueled conversations with yourself that start at a young age—and for many women, don’t ever stop running through our heads.
They say the loudest voice in your head is the one you listen to the most—and more often than not, that voice is yours.
“You can’t even recognize yourself, and your face tingles with an unbelievable itch you can’t satisfy, otherwise you will have ruined the hours of meticulous painting you applied to your hideous face.”
She continues her slam, referencing the must-have “elegant curls” and painful Converse you have to squeeze your feet into, because “you cannot be the odd one out.”