Wings of an eagle and heart of a lion,
Ears of an owl and eyes of a dragon,
Spine of a porcupine and voice like a bell,
These belong to the one they call Mel.
Mel, Meliss, Melissa, that was her full name.
But to her, Mel and Melissa were not the same.
Mel had perfectly polished hands, the color of porcelain
While Melissa had hardworking hands of a real, true American.
Mel hid Melissa inside when she ventured to school,
Because she knew Melissa wasn’t nearly as cool.
Other girls preferred Mel to the Melissa they didn’t know,
But to Mel herself, Melissa was hard not to show.
Melissa was kinder, gentler, and far more reserved
There was nothing wrong with that, as far as Melissa was concerned.
Mel knew no one “cool” would welcome Melissa,
So now her favorite flavor was chocolate, instead of vanilla.
But one day, sitting in her physics class,
Melissa grew tired of watching her life pass.
A slight tap on her shoulder caused cold-hearted Mel to turn
And she saw the girl behind her wearing a look of concern.
“Mel?” the girl asked, sounding hesitant.
“Yes?” Mel replied, noticing the girl’s elegance.
“Are you all right? You seem a bit tense.”
Melissa held her breath in suspense.
Mel wanted to say she was fine, really.
But Melissa let out her breath eagerly.
“Please, call me Melissa.”
The girl smiled. “My name’s Natalia.”
So from then on Natalia was her friend,
Bringing Mel to a well-deserved end.
Melissa lived kinder, gentler, a bit more reserved
But at school she was no longer unnerved.
Wings of an eagle and heart of a lion,
Ears of an owl and eyes of a dragon,
Spine of a porcupine and strength of a gorilla,
These belong to the one they call Melissa.
