Douglas Allen Rhodes

I told her to lie down in the grass,
behind the only house in my neighborhood
that had trees enough to hide us.

She was already naked,
and she did what I told her
without question.

I undressed just enough
to get on the condom, I’d been carrying
with me since I’d turned thirteen
a little less than two years before.

She wasn’t pretty or ugly,
but her body was nice,
for a fifteen year old girl,
and she had red hair.

I felt stupid, and strong, as we started,
and it made me feel good
when she said it hurt, at first.

Then it was over, way too quickly,
I was sure she was thinking,
and I found some way to blame her,
as I tossed the condom aside
and pulled up my shorts.

We walked back to my parents’ house then,
sort of holding each other,
but keeping an awkward distance,
and waited for her mom to pick her up.