Men at Forby

Girls at sixteen
Learn to turn quickly
the knobs of the doors that will soon be
forgotten

At rest on their beds
they feel their world
changing like the four seasons
though the change is not as subtle

And deep in mirrors
they discover
the face of a girl
trapped in a woman’s body

And the face of that girl
who is trying to desperately emerge
they are more women than they are girls
Something is missing, something

That is like the beautiful clatter
Of their tiny teacups
Filling their hearts with hope
At their weekly tea parties as a girl

Samar Al-Ansari

Grade 11.5