Girls Can Do Anything

by lin h. orndorf

Make your bed then catch the bus Remember your lunch An apple, Fritos, and fluffernutter on wheat Behave at school, learn all you can Use the key to turn the latch Do your homework Do your chores Girls can do anything You should be a nurse

Collect the trash and take it out Sweep the kitchen Sweep the porch Empty and wipe the ashtrays clean Dust the tables Dust the knick-knacks on the bookshelf Hoover the threadbare, green carpet with care Girls can do anything You should be a nurse

When the sun is shining, hang laundry out back When rain is falling, hang it downstairs Put the shirts on hangers and fold the rest Bundle the newspapers Smash the cans Sort the colors of glass Go to the scrapyard with Dad; make some cash Girls can do anything You should be a nurse

Don’t climb the pine tree Don’t ride your bike in the street, after dark, or far Don’t play ball in the house Don’t leave your blocks, Legos, and tools lying about Don’t play with Barbies, They’ll make you hate yourself Girls can do anything You should be a nurse

Wash your hands Brush your teeth Wash your hands again or I’ll scrub them with the brush I’m leaving with or without you I’m counting to three; I’m getting the wooden spoon These are your grades? You can do better Why don’t you do better? Girls can do anything You should be a nurse

Eat your lima beans Clean your plate Children are starving in Armenia, in India, in Africa… No dessert; you’re fat Stop sucking your thumb Stop banging your head Why do you do that? Girls can do anything You should be a nurse

Now your mother’s in school In four years, she’ll be a nurse Watch the news; learn about the world, the war, the moon… She hates people who love; we won’t buy the juice We’re fighting Commies; see the soldiers wrapped in flags Get up early; watch Neil Armstrong take a stroll Girls can do anything You could be an astronaut

Listen to music Read a book Let’s work on math I’ll check your spelling We’ll ride the bus to center city; Come help me at the firehouse No, girls can’t be firemen – not yet Girls can do anything You could be a nurse, but you should be yourself