March 21st, 2023

Pretty Ugly by Abdullah Shoaib

I’m very ugly
So don’t try to convince me that
I am a very beautiful person
Because at the end of the day
I hate myself in every single way
And I’m not going to lie to myself by saying
There is beauty inside of me that matters
So rest assured I will remind myself
That I am a worthless, terrible person
And nothing you say will make me believe
I still deserve love
Because no matter what
I am not good enough to be loved
And I am in no position to believe that
Beauty does exist within me
Because whenever I look in the mirror I always think
Am I as ugly as people say?

(Now read the same words, but bottom up)

Abdullah Shoaib is a lesser-known poet of Asian origin. His name came to the forefront when he shook the internet with his reverse poem «Pretty Ugly» in the year 2018. It went viral, and nowadays, the text is read in the academic curriculum and appreciated by poetry lovers worldwide. The beauty of this poem lies in its simplicity, to-the-point expression, and repetition. It deals with a theme that is both timeless and valuable. 

Source: https://poemotopia.com/abdullah-shoaib/

Related articles: «Trivio» de Tatiana Oroño, en el Día Mundial de la Poesía 2023 

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