five blocks east
of grove street
stood an umbrella over a girl
it was the middle of July
fair skinned, she hated the smile of the sun
sulky lips surround a bright red sucker
as she waits for the late friend in the ford pick-up
her friend thought her name was stacey
nineteen and a whore
she was popular with the boys
grown men dropped pieces of chalk
at the sight of her long legs uncrossed under a plaid skirt
everything she had learned she learned in kindergarten
the rest she picked up from her mother
her father didn�t understand her
her eyes were full of promise
a picture of her on her second birthday
still hung on his cell wall
after summer ended she had a boyfriend
he was a junior.--she was a dropout
he sold drugs--she bought them
he promised her thirty dollars--only paid twelve
even her mouth was cheap
but it was enough to buy the milk
a pack of smokes and a copy of seventeen
�how to be the girl everyone loves� read the cover
she pulled at the gum he put in her hair and cried for awhile