My mama allows it could’ve been rape
and it might’ve, you know, unsettled her mind.
Grandma, who’s lived with us since grandpa died,
declares she’s just a little whore,
probably with some low-ranking Roman,
who’s trying to hide her dirty skirts behind blasphemy.
Either way, my mama says, I should watch and remember
how easy a girl becomes trash and has to leave town,
probably for good,
and you can bet her little bastard won’t be around
to take care of her when she’s old.