Login
|
Join PoetrySoup
Home
Submit Poems
Login
Sign Up
Member Home
My Poems
My Quotes
My Profile & Settings
My Inboxes
My Outboxes
Soup Mail
Contest Results/Status
Contests
Poems
Poets
Famous Poems
Famous Poets
Dictionary
Types of Poems
Videos
Resources
Syllable Counter
Articles
Forum
Blogs
Poem of the Day
New Poems
Anthology
Grammar Check
Greeting Card Maker
Classifieds
Quotes
Short Stories
Member Area
Member Home
My Profile and Settings
My Poems
My Quotes
My Short Stories
My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder
Soup Social
Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us
Member Poems
Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Random
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread
Member Poets
Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest
Famous Poems
Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100
Famous Poets
Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War
Poetry Resources
Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter
Email Poem
Your IP Address: 216.73.216.12
Your Email Address:
Required
Email Address Not Valid.
To Email Address:
Email Address Not Valid.
Required
Subject
Required
Personal Note:
Poem Title:
Poem
They don't know my name. I keep it hidden between the folds of my skirt. They told me I had to wear it but they don't like that they can't see my legs anymore. I keep it hidden in the bows holding my pigtails together. They don't know my name. I'm my father's daughter, my brother's sister, my grandpa's granddaughter and the boy's you know from middle school friend. They don't know my name. I'm the girl they man spread next to on the bus even though there are plenty more empty seats. I'm the girl they yell after when she's just trying to go to school. I'm eleven and he's in his sixties yet he sticks his head out the window of the van and makes obscene noises and moves his tongue around. They don't know my name. She's that feminist threatening our glorious system. As if one measly girl that tears up when she talks about equality could topple the irresistible wall they sit on and spit at our heads. Some girls don't wipe it off and they sigh. "They love us. You're being ridiculous. Only some men spit from up there.", yet I see my father and he's laughing. He knows my name. He says he loves me but he called that woman that was driving too slow in front of him a whore. We sit out on the balcony and he lights a cigar. I hug my knees to my chest and he says the hair on my legs is disgusting. I say if he doesn't like leg hair he should shave. He says men don't have to. I scoff. He knows my name. There is a girl sitting behind me, tapping her pen against the table. She tells me she is from a different part of the country. In line at the cinema I tell a girl I like her outfit. Next time I go there a girl says she likes my makeup. They know my name. My mother gave me my name. She is driving and telling me boys don't like me because I'm mean. I fix my hair in the mirror. A boy approaches me. He doesn't ask me my name and I don't ask his, but the words of my mother echo under my skin. My brain is glittery pink and strawberry flavored. I let him spit at me and smile dumbly. He will never know my name.
CAPTCHA Preview
Type the characters you see in the picture
Required