First Time, No Charm
Fifteen
and the only girl in her class
who hadn’t “done it” yet
Sharp gossipy tongues
of her peers rendered her
brittle, an underachiever
Sure, she had the fever, but
no boy had the charm, the
romance she longed for
Fearing she would develop
a discernible crust beneath which
no one would wish to explore
she began to wear shorter skirts,
willowy legs bending, swaying
as a breeze blew through her branches
She spied one guy, gave him the eye
that said, “I want,” and he knew he’d be
Her First, and thus accoladed by his buds
That night, they threw down a blanket
Some pot he’d rustled up for the occasion
dilated their pupils, lazy balloon eyes
A few harsh kisses, some fumbling
some mumbling, but not calling her name
He opened the packet of the sheik sheath
Almost exploding as she put it on him
(like the banana in health class) and then he
crushed her with his weight, piercing her
It was all of ten minutes, leaving her with
the wound that never needs mending
And an unbearable feeling that there must be
more than sex than this, a barbarian invasion
Otherwise, why would musicians bother to write
love songs?
© 2012 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
For The Sunday Whirl: Sheaths, Explode, Unbearable, Fever, Willows, Crust, Mending, Breeze, Piercing, Brittle, and Rustle. Click on the blog name and see what everyone else got from this interesting group on the Wordle! I am glad to say this is NOT autobiographical.
I’ve chosen this poem for dverse Open Mic Night. Also at my home base for all things poetic, Poets United.
Sharp Little Pencil 
kaykuala
Clever use of the wordle words, Amy!
Hank
vivinfrance
That is why the Peggy Lee song “Is that all there is” is so poignant. Your lot were early starters! (or at least, boasted they were). All those boys could have been done for statutory rape of girls below the age of consent.
A great use of the wordle words..
Vx
Misky
… and they’re getting younger and younger. Children hardly have a chance to skin their knees before they’re …. erm …. skinning their knees.
Sharp Little Pencil
Ain’t it the truth… so sad. We have to prop up our girls, give them more of a sense of self-esteem. Then again, the War on Women isn’t helping…
Sharp Little Pencil
Viv, I actually thought of that very song, and her rendition, after completing the poem! “If that’s all there is, my friend, then let’s keep dancing…”
Misky
Excellent work, Amy. A “true voice” always says so much more!
dandeliongirl01
well captured. x
brian miller
ugh, thanksfully there is more to it than that fumbling first time…you just got to find the one willing to take their time and make it more about you than them…but this is an honest look at those first times for sure…
on thehomefrontandbeyond
so many times when we want to shed the “virgin” label, this is the experience–well done and well expressed
Old Egg
That first time was nothing got do with sex, It was just a transit ticket. Your piece was beautifully written to illustrate that so well.
Roger Green
Totally resonant. It’s too bad girls get the message they “need” to, because they often get other messages after that (“tramp” or “slut”), perpetrated by the same girls in your narrative.
Carol Steel
So well done, you captured the angst and the pressure and the ultimate disappointment of the first time. Real and raw, good write.
1sojournal
Perfect use of these words. Vivid and very real account that probably rings true for most of us. Thanks for your visit and generous words, Amy,
Elizabeth
http://soulsmusic.wordpress.com/
Sarav
Amy, you rocked this word prompt! Barbarian invasion, indeed–perfectly put. Too many women can relate to this, unfortunately. Takes a while to find that person that makes you want to sing sonnets 🙂
Sarav
PS glad it’s not biographical…
markwindham
another well done dose of the angst of the teen life. I must now go forbid my 10 year old from getting any older…. I guess we should at least be glad the ‘sheath’ was there, so many in that situation forego that part…
Sherry Blue Sky
Such a familiar story – poor young girls. You wrote this Real, kiddo. As you always do.
seingraham
Well told – so true also – some things don’t change very much I’m afraid … at least that’s what I hear from the youngsters … the pressure’s still bad, the first time’s still pretty rough and unsatisfying for most … and pregnancy and STD’s are still very real risks … good poem Ames, as always – and greatly wordled.
http://thepoet-tree-house.blogspot.ca/2012/10/please-keep-your-seat-belt-fastened-at_8.html
Daydreamertoo
Yes, my teen is 16 and telling me she and one other girl are the only virgins among all of her friend. Now all I hear is, ‘I’m not attractive, no-one wants to date me because I’m this or that’…I tell her she needs to focus on what is important which is getting good enough marks at high school to get into college or university. There are so many who feel pressured into this by peer pressure and as this girl discovered, if it’s not ‘done’ with someone who cares, it’s not going to make her walk on air anyway. Well said Amy.
ihatepoetry
Yes! A perfect write! Write on!
Mary
I struggle to believe that at 15 she would have been the only one who had not done it. I want to know where this was. Is this based on truth? If so, pretty scary.
wolfsrosebud
… there must be a reason God designed it for marriage… having worked with this age group recently regarding a community purity class, about half the students have not done it yet…
flipside records
I love the title, and this: “Sure, she had the fever, but
no boy had the charm”
Oh, this is excellent:
“Almost exploding as she put it on him
(like the banana in health class) and then he
crushed her with his weight, piercing her”
All of ten minutes? That’s pretty good for a teenaged boy, actually.
“more than sex than this” … Here, I think you mean “more to sex than this”
“why would musicians bother to write
love songs?” … Now that is a question to which I’ve never discovered the answer.
Great work, Amy. Loved it.
kelly
So well-crafted… with a few smiles added in. thankfully, it usually gets better from there.
Serena
Wow. You got that from a list of words? I’m impressed. This reads so well and you totally showed me this girl… sadly, she’s not all that uncommon. I’m glad it’s not autobiographical! You do have a way with words, Amy. Write on!
Ayala
Amy, a great capture .
STEVE E
“…Otherwise, why would musicians bother to write
love songs?”
OR…poets bother to write at ALL?
PJF Sayers
15 is pretty young, but it is possible, nowadays. Nicely crafted poem, Amelita.
Pamelita
enthusiasticallydawn
Raw and real. Brave and crazy share. Yeah, I remember 15 and all of it. You really capture well that which has taken place too many times…and sung about as well!
Mohana
Awesome write, Amy, esp the closing lines. They are so true and wonderfully done!
kimnelsonwrites
Great job of describing the loveless first coupling. Perhaps this should be included in 9th grade literature courses! 🙂
claudia
oh my…heartbreakingly real…and honestly…after my first time i thought..it’s really not worth it..but then luckily…it developed and now i could also write songs…smiles
pandamoniumcat
Courageous write, difficult times the teenage years, peer pressure, feelings of inadequacy… choices made are not always the best ones…it’s one big step on a huge learning curve.
Sabio Lantz
Well done. Love songs — songs are the bird part of the brain — mating indeed. No virtues where virtues should be.
Sabio Lantz
Opps, here is my poetry blog. That is the problem with more than one blog! 🙂
Cressida de Nova
A depressing reality and probably not uncommon.
Ginny Brannan
You did capture a certain rawness, and the inexperience of youth. Guess that’s the way it is these days, bow to the peers, can’t be left out.
“Otherwise, why would musicians bother to write love songs?”
Indeed there should be “love” involved. Or at least a fondness, and a gentleness, a certain respect, all the sadder if there is not. I guess some of us were luckier than others for the “firsts” we had.
Renee Espriu
How true. How very true. Life isn’t always to be seen through ‘rose colored glasses’.
purplepeninportland
I love that ending. My mother had a friend who never knew she enjoyed sex until she was in as assisted living facility at 80 years old!
Lindy Lee
Perhaps a necessary lesson…