To The First Boy I Said "I Love You Too" Poem by Anon Anonymous

Girls are taught from a young age to place our worth in our pretty. Taught to use our fragility to a breaking point, to give every part of ourselves to the men that tread before us. But if we use our prettiness to our advantage, we are wrong. Girls must speak in euphemisms, not knowing the word no, only speaking in confirmations and affirmations. The forbidden kiss, the sinful touch. They teach us to protect our virtue, but not allowing us to ask questions about the thing we guard so carefully. How do they expect us to be able to fight off the knight in shining armor from stealing us away from our safe house when they replace our strong ness with fragility and broken bones? We aren't trapped in the tower, we willingly put ourselves there in order to hide from the men who think they are entitled our virginity when they kidnap us from safety, forcing us to give up every part of ourselves, as if we hadn't suffered enough? The dragon you so clumsily murdered, masculinity dripping from your brow, wasn't trapping me here. He was protecting me from monsters like you. Girl code is not protecting each other anymore. It's fighting to protect ourselves. We have watched our sisters fall at the feet of men with a dagger pointed at their throat, so we had to adapt. How can we say no in a time of crisis when all we were allowed to say is yes? But what was the point in trying to say no? No is not a word recognized by men. They confuse no with "yes, please" and our nicest form "please stop" with "keep going." We are forced into submission, made to believe that the only position we are fit for is on our knees, being held by the throat. We don't stand behind men, we stand in front of them, bent at the waist. But isn't this the way things should be? Isn't this true love? It is no wonder why so many girls are afraid of sex, we are so afraid to feel vulnerable because this vulnerability is considered "dirty" "shameful" "wrong." It is no wonder why so many girls are raped. Because after the first time my rapist took my virginity and added it to his collection, he said "I love you." I said "I love you too."When they say "true love waits" they mean "true love waits for the man to come."