At seventeen.

At seventeen                         -Janis Ian-

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 

 

The rich relationed hometown queen married into what she needs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A guarantee of company and haven for the elderly 

 

Remember those who win the game lose the love they sought to gain 

 

Indebentures of quality and dubious integrity 

 

Their small town eyes will gape at you in dull suprise  

 

when payment due exceeds accounts received at seventeen 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To those of us who knows 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 

 

And 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 

 

That call and say, come dance with me and murmur vague obscenities 

 

At ugly girls like me  at seventeen 

  

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