all words taken from Dorothy Haskin’s For Girls Only, 1956

I. Food Can Be Fun

In the midst of the desert He placed: one of 
the most dated girls

the rich yellow squash, thorny cacti, the fragile

pink blossoms.
Susie was pasty-faced, gawky

goes in a vicious circle.

Place both hands on the edge of the table, 
push back and shake

"I’m naturally fat"

the stout girl excuses. She learned that
food could be

eggplant, the rich yellow squash, one of

from side to side. Her hands are poems of grace.

made her servant. Flaming red blossoms

He, too, married a charming woman.

 

II. Your Table of Contents

Study the shape of your face.

a warning against extreme hairstyling

             You are a temple / the throb of the city.

Girls have to cultivate cleanliness.

she has given her hairstyling a place

Spots, soiled clothing reveal that a girl
is not clean.

out of proportion

             You are a temple / the throb of the city.

And odor offends.

This must be a warning: how a small child

resists being washed!

 

III. What Will It Cost?

Train yourself: you can look like an autumn leaf.

when he says, "You look so nice." She has learned
the importance of "being herself."

The Lord must expect

Ugh! Inasmuch as you are a girl, you can 
look like an autumn leaf.

an ice blue blouse and pink

Even though you are not beautiful, you are well-dressed.

"My, what a pretty dress." Short, dumpy girls.
                          Tall, angular girls.

Florence, who tends to be overweight

The normal girl dresses to please. Train yourself
to think: ice blue blouse, an autumn leaf.

Inasmuch, the Lord must expect, even though
you are not beautiful

you are well-dressed.

 

IV. The Deeper Need

Nancy was shortened to Ann

and she married Adoniram Judson

(That is a good definition. If your spirit is twisted, things 
which you do to your body are helpful. Makes you a child of God.)

Eunice, Norma, and Valerie

wanted a husband

(She has become a slave to tobacco. The things which
you do to your body)

and all the dreams

which he symbolized

(makes you a child of God. You, having seen your need
of Him: "beauty will radiate." We are all marred in the
making.)

A husband is yours for a lifetime.

Pray for the right one.

(The Christian girl need not have any of them. Chains
her own self, slave to tobacco.)

decided to make it

a duet for life

(That is a good definition. Slave to tobacco, your body)

Time after time,

by girl after girl,

Adoniram Judson,

who painted the world-famous

Head of Christ.

 

V. To Talk Or Not To Talk

Do you have a smile? Can you cook?

Get your collection in shape

such as making a luscious cake. It is soon played
to death and stale.

The next step: darken your bathroom.

You will hear music _____ from his fingers.

It takes more brains

circulate, percolate. An alertness for news

Tom had a knack

You don’t have to be too intellectual!

china dogs, salt shakers,

Make a hand puppet to use when making announcements. 
What is

Are you friendly?

What is Communism, anyway?

 

VI. How Long—Oh How Long?

You will be driven to the Lord.

Men can be perverse! 
Much to Selma’s friends’ relief, hemarried her. 
The man was a blur.

Ecstasy and heartache! Sex is a peculiar thing.

The boys sensed something wrong.
Men are              hold it in your palm.
They couldn’t put it in words.

Ask the Lord to show it to you.

Beatrix’s smile grew doleful, and she never
You’ll get one quicker if you can take ’em or let ’em alone.
Camilla never learned.

Our inner beings are seared with loneliness.

Dorcas wasn’t taking any chances.
See? You’re not so different.
A man’s whole being must be satisfied.

As they are liked, so will you be.

 

VII. Don’t Walk—Run

The wiener roast will bring out whatever is in him.

 

VIII. The Thrill

            in a form-fitting dress, in a hazy light

It is because it is all you have to offer.

She missed the good, clean fun

the singer warbles

lays in his heart

            your walk, the way you looked at him, the flare to your dress.

Sex, like water and fire

died before they could. Food doesn’t interest a man who has eaten.

                       (the cheaper she is)

like an undigested lump.

"until I lost the power to say no."

The more she is handled,

            dresses which fit like onion skin over the hips

If anyone tells an off-color joke,

Maybe her life will be ruined!

displayed at the dime store, picked up by anyone.

What does it matter? The path to the altar

                       (Cheap jewelry, a deadpan face)

of having it ruined by him!

 

IX. Tom, Dick or Harold

His selection of lamps made her sad.

1. Where did he come from?

topped with a trip to Europe, Ruth only laughed

Rhoda did.

Love is more than a burning

2. Where is he now?

her tendency toward the modernistic. His 
selection of lamps made her sad.

If he yaks

Tom, Dick, or Harold, duties of amother.

until after the honeymoon.

3. Where is he going?

repetitious to the point of irritation

blandly entered into marriage.

The one whose jokes you will hear

His selection of lamps made her sad.

His selection of lamps made her sad.

 

X. Drawbacks

She
allowed
the 
Lord
to
use
Marshall
fully,
time
after
time.

The 
pattern
repeats
itself.

She 
is 
the 
more
pliable
of
the
two.

 

XI. But Satisfied

The Lord needs women.

In contrast, Sybil was beautiful!

as if you were gutted within by a fire.

But the girl who is single

Many, many marriages
                        rich, warm moments in marriage

"I became my best self and attracted to Tom."

For me to see a baby throb

He will prey on your mind.

mediocre. Sybil was beautiful!

Many, many marriages
                        rich, warm moments in marriage

She begins to do the sort of things which please him.

limit the Holy One.

her physical best for the Lord.

It needs to be looked at squarely. Sybil

Many, many marriages
                        rich, warm moments in marriage

invited her places and gave her their love.

The Lord woos us, the Lord needs women.

In contrast, Sybil was beautiful!

Then, there was the

Many, many marriages
                        rich, warm moments in marriage

crumbled in her hand like charred paper.

She joined a week-end walking club.