A Poem of Self Acceptance inspired by Ari

I wanted to write a poem about self-acceptance inspired by Ari. Throughout the book, Ari struggled with self-acceptance of his sexuality. He struggled with accepting his feelings because some of the people he was surrounded by were homophobic (extended family). He struggles with handling and accepting his true feelings for Dante, and felt ashamed for the way he felt. Later in the story when he was finally able to accept his sexuality and his true self, he reflected on his past feelings of shame by saying, "I thought of that look on my mother's face when I'd told her I was ashamed I thought of that look of love and compassion that she wore as she looked at me. 'Ashamed? Of loving Dante?' I took Dante's hand and held it. How could I have ever been ashamed of loving Dante Quintana?" (Sáenz 359). I can only imagine that this acceptance that Ari expresses and feels was one of internal freedom. I hope to capture that feeling in the poem I wrote below.

Internal Freedom

Self-acceptance can be hard to do,

especially when no one knows what you're going through.

It can be hard when you bundle all your feelings inside,

lock them up and throw the key to the side. 

But once you realize it's okay to be you,

you can start accepting all the parts no one knew. 

You can grow your love for yourself,

which will help you take better care of your mental health. 

You will be in a happier state,

and notice that smiling has become your new fate. 

You will be able to retrieve the key you threw to the side,

and unlock the freedom from inside.  

-Nadia Abukhadra