9. White

all the good girls wear white,

pure and unblemished and blessed

because they have saved themselves

for the boy standing at the front of church,

standing and waiting for them,

a gift offered all in lace and flowers.

 

but if you couldn’t be good,

if the temptation was too much

or if one of your boyfriends

kept going steadily even as you said

“no please no”

or maybe before you even knew

that you had something you were supposed to save

someone you trusted took it from you —

then you must wear white like all the good girls do,

wear white and suffer,

wear white and lie.

of course, you’re forgiven for what you lost,

but it’s still lost, you know.

you know you’re not a good girl

and you’ll never be a good girl

but you all wear white,

every single one of you,

 

so that the little girls can learn to save themselves,

and the little boys can learn what they deserve,

and maybe they want to all fall in love

but how can this fail to destroy it?