Kinjal Sanghavi, a poetess with vitiligo, has been writing poems based on her personal experience of living with the skin condition.
I didn’t quit
The path was harsh;
The people started calling me trash;
But, I didn’t quit.
The hardships were increasing;
The struggle became suffocating;
But, I didn’t quit.
The frustration was at its peak;
The confidence was weak;
The negativity trapped me in its trick;
But, I didn’t quit.
Many times I thought to leave the battle;
As I would often tumble;
And no one was to help me to fix that crumble;
But, I didn’t quit.
To achieve my goal became my rage;
To remain determined towards it became my craze;
So, I didn’t quit.
It took time but my patience paid off;
It took time but my perseverance paid off;
And therefore, no one should quit.
I am doing great
To all the forceful smiles
To all the demotivating voices
To all the zooming eyes
I still love my life.
To all the unpleasant whispers
To all the hesitating hands
To all the shrink hearts
I still enjoy my life.
To all the toxic minds
To all the unwanted advice
To all the cold hugs
I still feel content.
To all the weird expressions
To all the sadistic pleasures
To all the biased behaviors
I still love myself.
I am no longer bothered about their vision
I am no longer bothered about their statements
Because,
I have embraced my beautiful new skin;
and I am doing great!
The changes I made
When anyone used to stare at me,
I would feel shy;
But now with confidence,
I stare back at them.
When anyone used to make fun of my white patches,
I would secretly cry at night;
But now with sarcasm,
I give them a befitting reply.
When anyone used to ignore me coz of my appearance
I would curse my destiny;
But now with swag,
I don’t pay heed to them.
When anyone used to upset me with weird questions,
I would feel very awkward;
But now with courage,
I just brush them off.
These changes have helped me
To become a strong person
To extract happiness from my life
And to experience peace of mind.
Don’t underestimate yourself
You have the talent;
Rejection should not discourage you;
You have the confidence;
Negativity should not bother you.
You have the grit;
Failure should not break you.
You have the ability,
A virus of comparison should not infect you.
Don’t underestimate your worth coz of your tough present;
Just believe in yourself.
Coz one day, your patience will pay off;
And your hard work will earn you success.
About Poetess: Kinjal Sanghavi was diagnosed with vitiligo during her tender years in school. You can read her account of coming out strong after years of feeling ugly due to her vitiligo.