Patsy 1958

Patsy was huge, as big as a man;
with a voice deep and gravely
Patsy had hands like shovels
Patsy’s copper hair was lovely.

Patsy’s teeth were all yellow
Patsy was as ugly as sin;
yet somehow it was like the sun coming out
when Patsy decided to grin.

The boys took the piss out of Patsy
though Patsy mistook them for nice;
I tried to warn poor Patsy
but she wouldn’t listen to my advice.

Patsy was easy and malleable
they took her for practice and laughed;
poor Patsy thought that they loved her
though they called her ugly and daft.

I kept trying to reason with Patsy,
to make her see what we all saw.
Patsy thought I was jealous
pushed me and called me a whore.

It never occurred to poor Patsy
to wonder why I wouldn’t go out with those boys;
to think it strange or sinister
that they passed her around like one of their toys.

The last time I saw Patsy
she looked more than ever grotesque,
even her hair had grown thinner;
an hermaphrodite…
Poor Patsy!
One of nature's cruelest jests.