They like to tell me I’m too young
to sit with them at dinnertime
I’m seventeen — grouped with kids
who crack suicide jokes
and laugh
Maybe I should just take the pills then, huh?
They like to tell me I’m too young to be sad
“Chica, no tienes por qué llorar. . .”
Because it’s crazy to be eighteen
and only wish for your soul
to die
Wither away slowly,
swallowed by the earth
like trash
But I’m just a kid, right?
I’m too young for shit like that
I’m too young to know love
To have the nerve to fall so hard
I can’t even bother to lie
I’m too young to get the guy
To be a queen instead of a piece
of cheap plastic in a chess game
But I was nineteen — kind and selfless
and wrongfully naïve
Fine, just walk all over me
Too young for a love
that doesn’t end
in disaster
“Put down that cigarette, young lady”
“You’re too young for bad habits”
Am I?
Am I too young for
opinions and vices
and unexplainable dreams?
Am I too young to let my lungs
burn like raging fire
or give my throat a taste
of the seething fury trapped in my heart?
No.
I’m not too young to be human
Lex Marie is a Texas based, Puerto Rican poet with a calling for sharing her voice with other young women and girls who are in the process of finding themselves through creative endeavors. She is pursuing her masters degree in Library Science at the University of North Texas. She has performed at multiple poetry readings and has plans to continue writing and sharing her work. You can find more of her work on her social media (TikTok: @lexmariepoetry; Instagram: @lexmariepoetry).
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