The Blood & The Bones

When I was younger, I had lots of curly hair..unruly, unkempt & so thick that I could barely brush it. As a tomboy, keeping my hair kept was pretty unimportant to me. While most kids are adorable, I wasn’t. I look back on photos & see an awkward ugly duckling who had no idea what she’d become. Since we were poor there wasn’t much I could do to make myself more appealing. My clothes & shoes often had holes in them.I was unpopular, unattractive, overweight & sad because life had not even given me loving people with shoulders I could run home & cry my tears into.

In 6th grade, we began studying greek mythology. I was immediately drawn in. I spent hours in the library reading whatever I could find on the subject & especially loved Persephone. Her walk with light & dark made me like we could hold both of these things within us in harmony. My fascination with her has never left me.

One day on the bus, girls who bullied me pulled me out of my seat & started calling me Medusa. Chanting it. Saying my hair looked like snakes & I was so ugly I could turn people to stone. This was just one name they had for me. As I got older, they got more creative. All some variation of ugly, poor, fat. Over time, my skin built itself so thick they could not hurt me but I always felt like no kid should have to know that kind of thing.

Bullies..all my life I’ve dealt with them & even now it hasn’t stopped. Even though I am no longer an ugly duckling, it’s just a different kind of bullying. I’ve learned a lot about bullies & how their insecurities make them lash out. Makes them target others. For the right people or purpose I will fight til the death of me but I ignore bullies. They are insignificant & coming down to their level makes no difference in them but can make a monster out of me.

A long time ago, I made Medusa into something that wouldn’t hurt. I turned her into something beautiful so that they & no one else could hurt me again. Along with Persephone, she is a part of the ink that will permanently live upon my body. She’s someone who I always thought was beautiful & misunderstood. So full of pain she turned into strength but no matter how much we feel she lives within us, no one owns the rights to her..not me & not even the bullies.