there are these boys
who wanna know my
favorite color & how my day’s been

but I don’t like it.

I don’t have a favorite color
and if I did,
I wouldn’t tell them.

there are these boys
who want to hold my hand &
figure out what makes me laugh

but I don’t like it.

they want to get inside my head &
unravel all my mysterious---

but I don’t wanna be solved.

because there were these boys.

who told me I could trust them & then
made me run for cover.
who followed me home
when I was nine and I said “no”.
who told me they’d protect me but
kept going when I said “stop”.
who were supposed to care for me
but slipped a hand down my pants
or a look beneath my shirt.

there have been a lot of boys.

there are these boys
who wanna know my
favorite color & how my day’s been

but I don’t like it.

I don’t have a favorite color
and if I did,
I wouldn’t tell them.