• Paint me with RED and ORANGE,
    and WHITE to make me BRIGHT.
    For this canvas was once empty,
    now there's me,
    SEVENTEEN years later,
    and ALIVE.

    You're WRONG they echo,
    GINGER, GEEK and whatever else,
    they decided to throw at me,
    but I am STRONG. I am HAPPY.

    Being CREATIVE runs in the family,
    My mother said when I told her that,
    I wanted to write and paint and draw.
    She knew I would be a POET,
    and with my words start a war.

    I am BEAUTIFUL from the core to the skin,
    and if that is a sin then shoot me for learning,
    to live with my BUTTON NOSE and my,
    SECOND HAND CLOTHES that I grew TALL in.

    I used to think that only jars have labels,
    but now humanity throws them around.
    So stick one on my forehead that says LIZ,
    For I am NOT AFRAID anymore, not anymore.