Always 17
(original poem by Anna)
published 05.26.21
Every girl in a song is always
17 at most she might be 22
I've never heard some
Guy sing about
How she's 45
With bright green
Eyes
And so when
I was younger
It often seemed
To me that
They think
Your chances
Of being special
End at 17
But if I had
To describe true beauty
It wouldn't be a girl
Pretending to be grown
Tottering in high heels
Nervous laugher
who stills lives at home
I want them to write a song
For someone whose
Seen a bit more of life
Someone with
Confidence and
A smile bright
Oh someone
Write love song
For the nurse on
The night shift
For the cleaning lady
With 3 kids
Oh someone say
They're beautiful
The waitress
And the dentist
Who get up each
Day and
Face the music
They sell these
face creams
And potions,
these diets
And lotions
To try to convince us
That after 17
We are cars left
To rust
In a field-
But that shit
Ain't real
It breaks down
The soul
And when it comes
Between 17
And 45
Is young really more
Beautiful or is
Young just
Easier to control?
words from the author:
The narrative of a girl's life being over after she reaches the age of majority is a predatory ideal that upholds naivety and innocence above all else. It feeds into a narrative that is inherently pedophilic and this concept of beauty as youth only hides the truth of youth as easier to abuse and manipulate.
But older women are beautiful and we should look up to them as examples and praise signs of maturity and personal growth. Your value does not decrease as you age no matter what society says.