at seventeen - 齐豫 - tears at seventeen
i learned the truth at seventeen
that love was meant for beauty queens
and high school girls with clear siknned 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 home town queen
marries into what she needs
with a guarantee of company and haven for the elderly
remember those who with the game
lose the love they sought to gain
in debentures of quality