Liz

I drank Janis's rage and sadness with my Kool-Aid

Sang of Bobby McGee while other kids sang their ABCs.

I daydreamed about clouds with Joni

And was schooled about men

who wear women on their arms like expensive watches from Carly.

I longed to fall under the spell of a Magic Man

as I inhaled the earthy, herbal smokiness of the concert hall air.

But the next morning I was still myself

Their world would never be my world.

And as much as I wanted to be like her, Tori was fairytale beautiful
 And I was too old to be either a Cornflake or a Raisin girl.

Then along came Liz.

We all knew Liz. We were Liz.

She was the girl next door who swore like a sailor.

She was the seductress who got screwed.

She was the cynic who just wanted a boyfriend.

When she sang of a Flower

it was an O'Keefe painting come to life.

Liz was a storm.

She thundered onto the scene screaming like a girl

And we heard her

Because she was one of us.
 We were in Exile too.

She spoke our language.

Used words that we had been told nice girls don't say

But she knew we had been thinking all along.

Her world was my world.

Her words were my words.

She helped me find my voice.

submitted for Poetry Potluck, Inspired by a Song, at Jingle Poetry