I learned the
truth at seventeen
That love was meant
for beauty queens
And high school girls
with clear
skinned smiles
Who married young
and then retired
The valentines
I never knew
The Friday night
charades of youth
Were spent on
one more beautiful
At seventeen
I learned the truth
And those of us
with ravaged faces
Lacking in
the social graces
Desperately
remained at home
Inventing lovers
on the phone
Who called to say
Come dance with me
And murmured
vague obscenities
It isn't all it seems
At seventeen
A brown eyed girl
in hand me downs
Whose name I never
could pronounce
Said, Pity, please,
the ones who serve
They only get
what they deserve
And the rich relationed
hometown queen
Marries into
what she needs
With a guarantee
of company
And haven
for the elderly
Remember those
who win the game
Lose the love
they sought to gain
In debentures of quality
And dubious integrity
Their small town
eyes will gape at you
In dull surprise
when payment due
Exceeds accounts
received
At seventeen
To those of us
who knew the pain
Of valentines
that never came
And those whose names
were never called
When choosing sides
for basketball
It was long ago
and far away
The world was
younger than today
When dreams were
all they gave for free
To ugly duckling
girls like me
We all play the game,
and when we dare
To cheat ourselves
at solitaire
Inventing lovers
on the phone
Repenting other
lives unknown
They call and say,
Come dance with me
And murmur
vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me
At seventeen