What She Taught And What She Learned Poem by David Welch

Carmena knew why he was here,
their parents' smiles made it clear,
to set her up with Oliver,
who always had made eyes at her.

They didn't like her dating Chad,
and always spoke of her man bad,
but she knew her feelings were true,
she'd teach them all a thing or two.

Besides, Oliver was so plain,
dressed well, church-going, spotless name,
played sports and won good scholarships,
but she just wasn't down with it.

There was nothing unique in him,
nothing to make her crack a grin,
just some kid who did what was told,
in truth, men like him made her cold.

She wanted to enjoy her life,
do things not done, go out at night,
wanted someone wild at heart,
and Chad far better played the part.

He had that great trickster smile,
with looks that she did not revile,
played in a band, liked to go dance,
and the things he did with his hands…

She grinned at the mere memory,
folks thought too much of virginity,
you had one life, you had to live,
and Chad really knew how to give.

So when she walked onto that porch,
her parents as matter of course,
said, "Have you met Oliver before?
We met his parents at school board."

She said, "I have seen him around, "
all the while sporting a frown,
they went about the barbeque,
but what this really was, she knew.

And as the get together went,
Oliver came, like other men,
to take his shot and speak to her,
she rolled her eyes and heard his words.

As he went on and tried to flirt,
and sounded like some awkward nerd,
she finally held up a hand,
and said, "Oliver, stop it, man.

"Listening to you brings me pain,
and as a man you're so damn plain.
I know why our parents are here,
and I don't care if they can hear.

"I've got no time for guys like you,
you're just so boring, yes, it's true,
hell, word is you don't even drink,
you would not be much fun, I think.

"Beside, right now I've got a guy,
so my parents told you a lie,
they don't like him, that's why you came,
this scheme of theirs is damn insane."

With that just got up, left him there,
looking with an astonished stare,
their parents spoke up, she cared not,
up into her room she did trot.

Her parents said that she was rude,
had to work on her attitude,
she ignored them, who gave a damn?
At least now they would understand.

Time went on, Carmena left home,
went out to make it one her own,
moved in with Chad, they had a time,
until he stared doing lines.

At first he said, "It's okay, babe.
I work hard, I deserve my play.
For several years he managed it,
played to the masses in the pit.

They lived the high life, best they could,
for a good while it felt good,
the party scene, a singer's arm,
a guy who won folks with his charm…

But slowly things began to change,
the band kept playing on, in vain,
no matter all the clubs they played
it seemed that they could not get made.

No record guy brought them a deal,
the internet just did not feel
what they were selling, and her Chad
came home in moods more and more bad.

He slipped away more of the time,
drugs a relief that he could find,
but Carmena heard more rumors,
that he was banging more than her.

She'd ignored such thoughts in the past,
convinced that she and Chad would last,
but singers are a randy breed,
always happy to spread their seed.

As they both approached their thirties
she'd still not had matrimony,
Chad just seemed distant when sober,
never seemed to have time for her.

His band kept replacing people,
they played to clubs a quarter-full,
bills piled up, most were unpaid,
she fought off phone calls everyday.

Then one evening Chad just came home,
and said, "I want to be alone."
The next morning just shocked her eyes,
a groupie, somehow, slipped inside.

She saw her lying with her Chad,
still reeking from the sex they'd had,
could no longer deny her doubts,
started screaming at him, "Get out! "

He went away, jonsing for hits,
and didn't seem to care one bit,
to Carmena's eyes came real tears,
she was thirty, and she was here,

abandoned, broke, and past her prime,
the man she'd loved proving malign.
Was this what feelings brought you too?
Did love just leave you lost, and screwed?

But then, strangely, she had a thought,
and deep in her memory sought
that time her parents had brought in
young Oliver, she thought of him.

He didn't seem plain anymore,
how could she seen him as a bore?
Had he done something past the pale,
and like her made his whole life fail?

She doubted that, she understood
that what you want ain't always good,
the stupid her back at eighteen
had nothing of the real world seen.

She felt if she had listened then
she might've had more luck with men,
at least the ones who're worth a damn,
she went online, armed with a plan.

Scanning the social networks she
found Oliver, quite easily,
better yet he still lived near town,
and better still, was not nailed down.

She spoke to him in friendly tones,
dropped him DMs and made it known
that she'd like to meet up some time,
a pleasant evening they could find.

She even said she was sorry
for mocking him so easily,
that she regret her wild youth,
(she couldn't say it wasn't truth!)

To her surprise, the man set yes,
Carmena nearly lost her breath
when she met him at the bistro,
into a handsome man he'd grown.

The date was such a real delight,
they talked for hours, until night,
as if they had been friends for years,
Oliver belied all her fears.

He wasn't dull, at least not now,
that was the gift that age allowed,
to be free of youthful passions,
to see a man, learn to know him.

And though she swore she would hold back,
that night, at her place, she attacked
this man and led him to the bead,
they tossed and tumbled, then rested.

She awoke to see him standing,
picked up his clothes, stared dressing,
she said, "Come on, it's a weekend,
come back to bed, let's go again."

Oliver just gave her a small smirk,
said, "Yeah, I don't think that will work.
Fun as this was, it's over see,
in truth, you're kind of old for me…"

She looked up, shocked, not getting why
such words were coming from this guy,
he laughed again, and said, "I must
thank you first, for the both of us.

"I wasn't hunting trim last night,
but alas, it somehow felt right
to bang the chick who shattered me,
and taught me how a man should be.

"You see, back then, I was quite dull,
respecting the ladies in full,
and what did that get me? Nothing.
Girls like bad boys, no denying.

"They crave men who treat them like sh-t,
that Chad asshole just displayed it,
you'd chose him over guys like me?
I make six figures, it's lunacy!

"But hey, without you I'd have not
learned their tricks and got what they got.
the bad-boy game's not hard to play,
and I get sex most every day.

"Just act strong, play the alpha game,
they'll come running and give up strange,
no need for weddings or divorce,
and I don't loose my shirt in court.

"So I guess this circle is done,
by the way, you had no protection…
I'll see you 'round, Carmena dear,
but I don't think I'll come back here."

With that he just sauntered away,
Carmena cried for the whole day,
and wished that her whole life would burn
for what she'd taught, and what she'd learned.