A woman is taught many things in life Cooking, cleaning, and sewing From a girl she’s taught how to be a wife Society does this without even knowing
A girl is taught above all else—be polite She can’t get dirty playing with boys Propriety is her only delight She mustn’t make too much noise
Nobody wants a girl to play rough That would be unacceptable Although inside she must be very tough That side should remain undetectable
A girl is taught to always be nice Never having a toe out of line Her true feelings she must sacrifice Never saying a word that’s unkind
If someone wrongs her, best keep it in Still greeting them with a smile If she gets dramatic it’s surely a sin Being ladylike is more worth her while
A girl is taught she must always be cheery It’s impolite to be boastful or saucy Or no man will love her dearly The worst insult to a female is “bossy”
It’s truly wrong for a girl to demand For that’s the place of men A controlling woman is out of hand And she needs to be condemned
A girl is taught to remain pure As white as the driven snow Even when her heart is unsure She’d better act like she knows
But it’s not so important to be wise She doesn’t need to know every facet Soft curves and lips and sultry eyes Those are the most important asset
A girl is taught to be ever faithful Standing tall at her man’s side If he falters and she becomes doubtful A good woman swallows her pride
But God forbid a woman should stray That would be simply unheard of Else she’d be cast far, far away A creature undeserving of love
A woman is taught to depend on her husband But never come off as too needy Her conflicting desires need to flex and bend Or she’ll risk being seen as greedy
Her needs can be viewed with little import Only cared for when it’s convenient She learns tears for attention are a last resort Then maybe her man will be lenient
A girl is taught from a young age All about the world’s inequality But we still set young girls up on this stage Making them perform for all to see
In a prefect world feelings would be treated the same Men and women could each care and be loyal Equal understanding would bring far less pain But first we must stop treating men as royal
J. N. Ross Poetry 