Good Girls

good girls don’t play rough

and they wear the dresses

their mothers pick for them—

pastel shades, ruffled skirts.

good girls smile on cue,

ready for pictures perfect,

no matter the time or strain

as their fathers clap in delight.

good girls don’t question

what the adults say and do—

nor do they gossip away

about the other girls so near.

good girls know when to talk—

always right when spoken to—

and they listen more than speak

because that’s what they were taught.

good girls bake cookies and cakes

for their fathers and the boys

‘round the good ol’ neighborhood,

sweet as laughter falling from their lips.

good girls always respect their elders

and never ask why such-and-such occurs,

and really they’re the best at hiding

venom behind their pearly whites.