You accidentally called me "beautiful" once, when we were parting
I knew it was a mistake--you'd simply forgotten who you were talking to
But I took it anyway, even though it belonged to someone else
And I wasn't entitled to it--I took it like the thief that I am,
Because I've never come by anyone's adoring gaze honestly
Only beauty begets that sort of knee-jerk, spontaneous admiration
The rest of us must work to earn it through words and deeds
Digging down and forcing all that "inner beauty" to the surface
So that it creates a facade of forged loveliness,
Like an illustration drawn on a plain brown wrapper
You accidentally called me "beautiful" once,
And like any good pickpocket, I took advantage of your carelessness
I snatched it up before you knew you'd left it there,
Pretending it was meant for me, knowing that it never was
And like that necklace that I took when I was a girl,
I take it from its secret hiding place and try it on, making believe I deserved it
