I know a girl who’s always saying
She doesn’t know what to do
She’s fifteen and her son is two
They live in the projects just south of 7th street
I sometimes see her walking home from school
She stands out from the other kids
There is no voracious curiosity beaming from her eyes
No barely contained desire to push the envelope and test boundaries radiating from her being
She has the closed off look of someone who has learned that curiosity did indeed kill the cat
She looks like she knows that some steps taken and lines crossed are impossible to retrace
I know a girl who’s always saying
She doesn’t know what to do
She’s fifteen and her son is two
One part of me wants to write her off as another statistic
To look past her to another teen with less drama and more potential
Another part of me, the part that longs to break down generational brick walls
Wants to sternly tell her
Number one: Take care of you and your son.
Number two: Get an education.
Number three: Strive for a career, not just a job.
Number Four: Choose what you’re naturally good at, then study it to make yourself better.
Number Five: Leave the boys alone for now. Wait until you’re older and know who you are. Then you’ll know who you want.
Number six: There will always be people who will judge you based upon your past. They’ll call themselves realists, but they’re cynics. Ignore them.
Number seven: Dreams are good. Call them goals and have a plan.
Number eight: Always remember that—are you listening to me?
Yes ma’am but…
But WHAT?
I know a girl who’s always saying
She doesn’t know what to do
She’s fifteen and her son is two
My frustration spills over
Why won’t she walk into the bullet pointed life I’ve outlined for her?
And now this woman/child is looking at me
With those eyes that have seen too much and not nearly enough
So I soften my voice and ask again
But what, sweetie?
A slight hesitation with bowed head and gaze glued to the floor
I’m still stuck on number one
I can barely take care of myself
Let alone my son
I know a girl who’s always saying
She doesn’t know what to do
She’s fifteen and her son is two
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Faith Simone 
Faith, this was a very emotional piece. Sad, but relevant and necessary. And I especially love this: “Dreams are good. Call them goals and have a plan.” Pure gold. Thanks for sharing this.
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Thanks Quanie. Sometimes I don’t know where the words come from. I look at some of the young women today and they just seem so lost. I guess this is what I wish I could say to them if I could speak to their hearts without them being defensive.
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[…] I Know a Girl via FaithSimone2011. This is really good. […]
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Thanks for the compliment!
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OMG!! Did you write this poem? I’m assuming you wrote this. This poem is superb and breathtaking in its raw and emotional stance. Good lordy, Faith, girl you got talent! Well done. Well done. Well frickin’ done.
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