“To be a girl”

By Angelica Marin

Oh, to be a girl 

to put ribbons in your braids 

and crave vanilla ice cream. 

To lose yourself in a book 

that no one loves the way you do. 

Oh, to be a girl 

to hold your key between your fingers 

and rush to the car. 

To scan the perimeter 

any time after dark. 

Oh, to be a girl 

to find a man and love him, 

in sickness and in health. 

to form a beautiful family. 

To obey. 

Oh, to be a girl 

to do your daughter's hair, 

and reward her vanilla ice cream. 

To lose yourself in a life 

that no one can love, not even you. 

I submitted "To be a girl" to a local poetry contest as a requirement for an English class I took in high school, and it kickstarted my passion for poetry. I chose a topic that contained a lot of emotion, and one that my friends and other readers could relate to.