Worth & Authentic: Two Poems About Knowing Who You Are

These are poems. Not posts. Not advice. Not a list of things to do.

Just words written by a teen girl trying to figure out who she is — the same way you are. Anaya Deshmukh is 14, the founder of Daughters of India, and the author of Whispers Within: A Teen Girl's Diary in Verse. These are two of her poems. Read them slowly.

WORTH

I stand in the mirror, unsure what I see,

A blend of potential and of mystery.

Eyes that dream, a heart that feels,

But am I enough? The question reveals.

Voices surround me, loud and unkind,

Their words echo deep in my mind.

But I'm learning to sift through the noise,

To trust my own strength, my own voice.

I stumble, I fall,

But with each step forward, I stand tall.

Not perfect, not flawless, but that's okay,

I grow a little stronger every day.

The doubts still whisper, but softer now,

I'm learning to rise, though I don't know how.

Each trial I face becomes part of my song,

A reminder within that I do belong.

So, I'll rise with pride, I'll learn, I'll be,

Not someone else — but fully me.

For I am worthy, I now can see,

Just as I am, genuinely free.

AUTHENTIC

"Be yourself, Be authentic", but what does that mean,

When I'm caught in a world that's so perfectly seen?

Filters and trends, the pressure to fit,

But none of it feels like me — not one bit.

I'm not always graceful, I'm not always cool,

I say weird things, I trip at school.

Sometimes I laugh way too loud in the hall,

Sometimes I feel like I don't belong at all.

But then I remember, it's okay to stand out,

To wear what I love, to speak, to shout.

To love the way my freckles connect like a map,

To roll my eyes when they say, "Don't yap!"

Being authentic is messy and wild,

It's owning the moments where I feel like a child.

It's writing my story, not following trends,

It's choosing real friends over "likes" and pretend.

So I'll show up as me — flawed and true,

With dreams in my heart and nothing to prove.

Because the best thing I'll ever, ever be,

Is unapologetically, authentically me!

— Anaya Deshmukh, Daughters of India

Which line from either poem felt like it was written for you? Tell us in the comments. Anaya reads every single one.

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Part of our Whispers Within poetry series: Thriving & Progressing, Evolving & Flourishing, Whole-Hearted & Breathtaking, and more — explore the full collection on our Whispers Within pillar page.

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