Girl, Truth Lay the Surface

1.

“Why he always does that?” she cries

It’s the seventh time this month

“You know what he likes,” her friend sits beside

Girl, truth lay the surface

And you know it, always

“You all say I am the best, and he said also”

she looks at her friend with eyes full of tears  

“You are the best among us, dear, but not for him, with your kindness,”

Girl, truth lay the surface

And you know it, always

“I take care of him; I do everything he likes”

“every time looks at me, he smiles,

“every compliment bright my day, he does”

Girl, truth lay the surface

And you know it, always

“his birthday in three days, I should be prepared,” she murmurs

“I will buy his favorite cake and write him a card,” she leaves

Girl, truth lay the surface

And you know it, always

Cut the chain that meaningless

Live your life with more purpose

When could you learn to see this

2.  

Cut the chain that meaningless

Live your life with more purpose

Six years ago, a friend told me

So innocent and blind, that little girl was

She forgot how matter she was

Looking at the old stories I wrote,

Only on my face is the smile

“Did not find I was a talented writer”

“There were many things you didn’t realize, my dear”

That’s from the same friend who was there all the time  

Life changes everything; life changes me

More clear the world I could see

“No, my dear, it is you; make the life better, you do”

“Find a man, make your life better,” but they say

“Oh my dear, you know the truth, always”

Know the tricks, resist the fooling

Know you are matter and see the changing

Girls and women, all sisters

Truth lay the surface, you know it always

Look harder, know you matter

Truth lay the surface, you know it always

Love yourself, know you matter

Be yourself, know your power

Change the world, you do it better

The first part of the poem describes a scene, in which a girl complains to her friend about a boy that takes advantage of her, and she knows it. But every time he shows her some appreciation, she would forget those heartbreaking times and cannot resist but do everything can make the boy happy. In this poem, I want to present how the girl believes that she should be kind to everyone and especially the one she likes, and then refuses to face the truth but subjects to the boy’s trick, which keeps hurting her.  

The second part of this poem depicts that the girl has grown up into a woman and when she looks at the old stories that she wrote in remembering her experience, she can only smile. Life changed her; she changes herself. The surrounding world teaches her to face the truth, to recognize her values, to resist and reflect. She sees her power and wants all women to do the same.     

* From part of my writing response for my English class - Rhetoric of Women's literature