Growing Up A Girl
Growing up a girl they tell you exactly what to do
Cover up, chin up, smile more
Simple steps to keep us safe
Smile and nod until they take the hint
But they don’t tell you what to do when it doesn’t work
They don’t tell you what to do when you’re standing there and his hands are on your body
But he’s kind of cute and he’s probably just being nice
If he hurts you then that means he likes you
At least that’s what we are taught
Then when you realize what actually happened they blame you
What were you wearing?
Did you say no?
Why smile at him?
Weren’t you on a date?
But that’s all they told me to do
Cover up
Chin up
Smile more
They said it’s to protect me and I didn’t understand at first
Until I did and his hands didn’t stop when I asked
It’s okay he told me
I will like it he told me
Except I didn’t
Maybe it was my fault
Maybe I could have done something to stop it
Maybe if I didn’t smile at him
Apologies fly past your lips before you can think of another response
I’m sorry
I’m sorry
I’m sorry
For growing up a girl
Carmen Everett (she/they) is a sophomore at VWU working towards her BA in English (with a concentration in secondary education), with sights on the MAED program, and hopes of being a middle school teacher right here in VB. She is a poetry and photography editor at VWU’s newest literary magazine, The Fishbowl Review. She has two cats, a dwarf hamster, and a fiancé (he's a mechanic), neither of whom she will shut up about, and she currently works with children at the YMCA.