What You Will Learn
You will learn it from a young age-
That there is a scale and you
Sit upon it.
It is not your choice
It never was.
Even back then when
Your mother told you
You don’t look pretty with your hair tucked
Behind your ears,
She was trying to push you up it
One more
Little notch.
You will learn that it does not matter what you dream about
So long as it is not him
That it does not matter what scars you inherit
From your ancestors
Only what percentages you carry
And where you carry them,
Latino lips, African ass,
Do you **** like the gypsies you come from?
You will learn it does not matter what struggles you face
How hard it was to drag yourself
Out of bed this morning
How exhausted you feel-
You are worthless
Unless you can stay awake whilst he screws you.
You will learn that sleep won’t stop him.
You will learn that
‘I will wait until you are ready’
Has a time limit.
You will learn that your words will get you into trouble
That he’ll love you better
If you use your lips
For what they’re made for,
You will learn that your worth will be measured
In how many inches
You can take.
You will learn to fear
Birthing a girl
Learn to fear your hand slapping
At her hands
As she bites her nails
Stay pretty
Up the scale
And she will learn to love boys
Who love the way she moves her hips,
She’ll learn that last names don’t matter
And school grades don’t matter
And poetry doesn’t matter.
She’ll learn that she’s just one of those girls
Guys want to sleep with
And that that
Is okay.
Copyright © Gracie Bawden | Year Posted 2013
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