I, Too, Have Heard These Words
This author is a recipient
of the Sigma Tau Delta Award
Fucking bitch.
I am a woman who doesn’t shut my mouth,
who was never taught to know my place,
and so I, too, have heard these words
spat out with entitlement from men
who can’t stand when we won’t give
our undivided attention,
our undeserved reverence,
our yes, sir acquiescence,
our compulsory smiles.
Do what I say, what I want,
or I’ll take your ability to do anything more at all,
that phrase means,
just as much on January 7th
as it always has.
Be a good girl,
that phrase means,
even though nothing short of
failing to exist in the first place
will ever be Good enough.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelsey Rentfro-Cline ('11) is an English teacher, mother, wife, and daughter. She earned two bachelor's degrees from St. Ambrose University and an MA from WIU-QC. Submitting poems to Quercus is the only artistic venture she's done since college-- except during COVID, when she tried to learn macramé. Her work has been published in Quercus Volumes 33 and 34.
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