At Seventeen

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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

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The valentines I never knew

The Friday night charades of youth

Were spent on one more beautiful

At seventeen I learned the truth

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And those of us with ravaged faces

Lacking in the social graces

Desperately remained at home

Inventing lovers on the phone

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Who called to say "come dance with me"

And murmured vague obscenities

It isn't all it seems at seventeen


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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"


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And The rich relationed hometown queen
Marries into what she needs

With a guarantee of company

And haven for the elderly


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So remember those who win the game
Lose the love they sought to gain

In debitures of quality and dubious integrity

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Their small-town eyes will gape at you

In dull surprise when payment due
Exceeds accounts received at seventeen


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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


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It was long ago and far away

The world was younger than today

When dreams were all they gave for free
To ugly duckling girls like me...


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We all play the game, and when we dare

We cheat ourselves at solitaire

Inventing lovers on the phone
Repenting other lives unknown


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That call and say: "come, dance with me"

And murmur vague obscenities

At ugly girls like me, at seventeen

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