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 meand 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
atu 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
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