Gabrielle Marie by Jordan Bucenec

Gabrielle Marie

At first she was blue.
Your average white American female

with hazel eyes just like her mother, 

pale skin that burned in the sun, 

brown hair that held an awkward wave, 

skinny legs that were maintained with a jump rope, 

a taut tummy with an unusual spot shaped like splattered soy-sauce, 

a crooked yet skinny Hungarian nose, 

and an average height of 5 feet and 6 inches. 

She lived with the strength of thirty men

because god knows she couldn't rely on her father.
The colors of black and blue may have littered your skin,
and yet you were beautiful.
You carried a fifty pound weight on your back,
and yet you were fragile.
The skeletons you stored inside your closet were screaming and clawing,
and yet you remained silent.
The baggage you carried began to weigh you down,
and yet you stood.
You stood despite the doubts,
despite the pain,
despite the regrets,
despite the risks,
despite the hardships,
and despite your god forsaken father.
You stood,
and you were magnificent. 

As her dirt soiled converse stepped through her parents' home (because it was never really hers), 

the light shone through, and she was yellow.

You had your own money, car, and job. 

No one waiting at home to hit you or leave you disappointed. 

You had enough of that. 

Melancholy faded into happiness,

and life began again.
How's that for a strong and independent woman? 

Before long, she was black.
You didn't know what to do with your life.
To turn left or right?
To turn around?
Or to push forward?
And because of your doubts, you persisted.
You didn't know where you were going
or who you wanted to be.
But you did what you thought was best.
The path you followed may not have been the safest.
It appeared flat and straight,
but deeper into the woods revealed bumps
and rocks
and streams
and wild animals that took the names of
Peter, Dylan, and Dad.
You tried on your brave face for those days.
And you kept it on everyday of your life.
But you reached the end of the thicket,
and you found your rainbow.
And that rainbow's name was Brian.

She was Gabrielle.
She was confused,
scared,
depressed,
lost,
alone,
and yet she is
independent,
wise,
caring,
polite,
and
worthy.
She is wonderful.
And she is my mother.