Adulterated

I wrote this poem after being ogled by a guy at the public library.

Adulterated

Your eyes lock mine, and I see your desire -
Standing there, your lanky body lithe and leering.
I know my father would have me be enticed,
As I ought to value the approval of man as more precious than rubies.
Knowing this, I look away –
Not coyly, coquettishly, or shamefully,
But pointedly, defiantly,
Determined to have my say.

And yet, in spite of myself,
Flattery nettles at my mind.
From this body have years, tears, and children
Consumed the feminine,
Exhausting my spirit,
And leaching even the color from my hair.

And so as you see me, I do not blush –
But I look to see me, too.