Girl, 14 by Corrina Robinson

Girl, 14 by Corrina Robinson

Six years of sewing, stiff necked and pricked fingers. Six years of scrubbing, starching, smoothing. On my knees in dusty corners and on my knees in church. And when I am sent out of here how many more years of sewing and scrubbing lay before me?

I will not do it. I will be nobody’s servant. I will sew myself some britches and I will cut off my hair and change my name and I will join a ship as the boys here do. But I will not sew sails and I will not scrub decks and I will not go on my knees and give my blood for the king.

I will become a pirate and live a life of freedom. I will curse and fight and play at cards and drink rum and all manner of unladylike deeds.

With my gold I shall commission a man of science to make me a monkey that runs on clockwork and he shall be my servant and do my bidding. Together we will sail the seven seas and travel to the ends of the Earth and in all that time I will take no husband nor nurse any infants nor ever go to church until the day that I am buried.

And in all my life my only master will be the wind and my only mistress the sea.