Good Girl

I don’t say things like "good girl"
When this child picks up her toys
I say things like, "thank you,"
And "wonderful friend"
Because I will never forgive my mother
Or anyone else’s mother
Or any of the men who trained them
To glorify the holy grail
That is
Good Girl
And I’ll be damned if
I stand by silently
While one more generation of Good Girls
Is raised up
Like chattel
With modern day dowries like
Diet Indepence, Emotional Labor,
Cool Girl Cred,
And No Drama
While being groomed to apologize for
Taking up space, for
Demanding better.
All of my friends are Recovering Good Girls
Still contaminated and
Sucking out the poison.

Better to eat our young
Than to make
Good Girls out of them.