by Mary Therese

Created on: July 07, 2008

A Lesson in Lying

Illuminated by candlelight
coming off the cake
my face wears a big smile
as unnatural as the processed flakes smothering the cake.

"I don't care if you hate coconut.
Grandma made it special for you.
BE GOOD and PRETEND to like it",
mom barked my marching orders.

My own birthday, yet another occasion
to make someone else happy.
A phony grin on my face,
I swallow and try not to register the taste.

Forcing the unwanted confection down my throat,
thoughts turn to girls who are forced to swallow
intimate body parts of dirty old men.
We try not to taste it. We are good girls.

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