Curls intertwine each other in small and powerful ringlets
Too powerful for others to understand
And too complicated for some to love
Its moisturized by heavens private pool
It grows like a weed
And thickens up like gumbo
It falls to my knees but shrinks up like a cloud
It dries up like a desert
And tangles up like vines
It isn’t a distraction or a boulder
It’s the stunning view
It’s the garden of eden
Others see it as bad
And some see it as good
Curls are a gift
Curls are a crown
They must be cherished
No matter how thick or loose
No matter how short or long
Its power and grace are underrated
its volume and definition are rarely discussed
Every single miniscule ringlet
No matter how small
No matter how thick
Makes up a beautiful galaxy
think about how every small curl
makes up your amazingly thick hair
No matter how amazingly short you chop it
Its power still remains
It might take long to grow
But it’s alright because the most beautiful of things take time
Take care of it
Be patient
Protect it
It’s a plant
It’s a crown
It’s a garden
It’s your garden of eden
Don’t compare it to taller trees
Don’t compare it to looser flowers
Don’t compare it to longer vines
Or even to someone else’s garden
Because it’s yours to water
It’s your tree of life
It’s your crown
And It’s an incomparable prize
Nicaulis Mercedes is a junior at Fordham High School for the Arts with a deep passion for creative writing and art. One of her biggest insecurities used to be her hair, but once she started reading poetry and creative pieces from people like her, she no longer felt like an outcast,since there were people out there just like her who beautifully described her features. Therefore, she decided to do the same for other teenage girls. So far in her creative journey she’s founded an online literary magazine called Journals of Color for teenagers in her community, will soon be published in an anthology titled Inside Me, has written the script for an off Broadway play titled Hidden Truths for Roundabout Theatre, and was topical winner of a national high-school poetry contest. She is thrilled to have work published in Blue Marble Review!