OWS Ink LLC
By Readers, For Readers
Welcome to Wednesday Words, where each week we’ll dazzle you with words from a variety of poets! This week’s poem comes from Rosa Marchisella, one of the contributors to our Feminine Flower poetry submissions.
Rosa Marchisella is an author of both fiction and non-fiction books (under the name Rosa Arcade). Her other written work include 4 co-authored publications, web articles, marketing and media projects, as well as promotional and educational tools. Her poetry has appeared in several anthologies and websites and over a dozen of her scripts have been produced to date. Rosa is also the creator of the animated series, Zomb-Eh? and currently lives in Ontario, Canada with her children.
When I was just a young girl
I wore ribbons in my hair
The world was full of wonder
And the judgments were all fair
Everybody seemed to love me
As I marched to my own beat
And the future lay before me
Like a treasure at my feet
When I laughed, the world laughed with me
When I cried, they sent me home
For happy girls can have sweet kisses
But sad girls are left alone
When I became a teenager
I still wore ribbons in my hair
Although my friends all turned to dust
And no one seemed to care
All the girls, they came to hate me
And the boys just wanted sex
While my folks couldn’t understand me
My heart was an open text
When I laughed, the boys laughed with me
And when I cried, I cried alone
For they only wanted smiles
So, my true face stayed at home
When I became a woman
There were no ribbons anymore
For they could get me killed
Coming out of my front door
The local gangs, they are reflecting
The greater violence everywhere
But, I found a man who loved me
And I cut off all my hair
When I laughed, the world laughed at me
When I cried, it was in the Dark
For my joys did not come easy
And Death had nearly hit its mark
Now that I am older
All the ribbons have returned
I don’t care if I get shot
‘Cause I’m tired of getting burned
By all the ones who say they love me
And the lessons that I’ve learned
Once again I’ve found my own beat
And the treasures that I’ve earned
When I laugh, I give to Spirit
When I cry, I take some back
For I’ve found the strength to journey
And I’m never coming back