Aaron Romero
12th Grade
Career Technical Education Center
Kern County
“My poem targets generational trauma and the longterm effects it can have on teens through adulthood. I wanted to compare skin to the perception one may have of their personality, their features, and their body. With time it gets easier and you don’t shy away from the figurative and literal mirror so much. I feel teens need a reminder that it is okay to be vulnerable, open minded, and let go. We are our biggest critic but also our strongest support system and only we know how to resolve the problems we have with ourselves. It is a poem about aging, forgiving yourself, and how digging inwards and allowing your inner child to process trauma is much better for your health than continuing the detrimental cycle you may have been a victim of as a child.”