Praise in Transition

They say never and always, all the time, at the same time:

Fix your hair, fix your head

Go to school, put something in there

Smile at angry men, frown at happy women

Forget about broken children, no one will ever want them

Fix your arched back, fix your crooked…well all of it.

Fix your neck fix your teeth fix your skin

Don’t dream and never leave time to rest

Don’t grow up too fast, but be mature first, take care of me now

As fast as possible, fix your face, 

Fix your nose, fix your skin, did we mention skin?

Don’t get pimples, don’t be too dark, get a lighter hue 

Or You might not find a certain someone to love you

It’s just not plausible.   

Fix your eyes, keep them open wide

Keep your mouth and legs closed at all times

Except for a husband I suppose 

There's nothing to hide from such a fellow

Go to school when you’re done with that

Do your homework, forget about boys, before and after

You learn about consent.

Don’t think about boys, not even the ones who force themselves 

Onto you, be polite, know when to laugh

Smile at all times, that’s how people will leave you alone. 

Don’t follow the bad crowd, don’t go astray

Watch what you say, and don’t be too loud,

You don’t want to be labeled as that. 

Go to school, learn something new, and then go to school

To learn something the previous generations have yet to learn too

Follow your path, as in the same path I took

That got me here, giving you horrendous advice

From what I learned in school.