A letter from May 11, 2023

Dear FutureMe, Words will always hurt me: You know the saying sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me That's what I would get told by my teachers my parents my peers But the words do hurt me They take away my self confidence and They lower my self esteem They make me feel unworthy They make me feel incomplete Words may seem simple but the saying all bark no bite But to me the way they say them doesn't feel right When someone tells me you're being too loud they're right I am And then it's just annoying And when someone tells me your hair looks weird it's true it does I just couldn't style it properly today And when someone tells me your friends must think you're so annoying I know because they do And I think they stay because they feel bad So honestly sticks and stones may break my bones but words they always hurt me - Ruby kurz, 2023