Vivian Zhi
A Collection of Poems Dedicated to the Failings of Our Sexual Education System
how do i have sex?
like, how do I actually have sex?
if school has taught me anything,
it’s how to do my research.
so i surf the dark and dangerous waves
of the internet.
lights down, incognito mode on,
while everyone is asleep.
porn is my teacher, smut is my bible.
and i am their ashamed disciple.
i know these sources aren’t reliable
but where else do i go?
– research at 11:49 PM
Image Source: Harvard Business Review
we spent less
than half an hour
on the female anatomy.
i wish we spent more.
i can name
each part of a cell,
microscopic beings
making up the whole
of which is unknown.
– finding my vagina
Image Source: Glamour
it’s icky, it’s sticky,
it’s warm and moist.
the cavern of mysteries
is uncharted territory,
even for local inhabitants.
the intrusive explorer
is cold, awkward and
utterly, utterly lost.
– anybody have a map?
Image Source: The Atlantic
exploring sexuality,
chapter nine states.
i check my surroundings.
no one’s there.
my eyes skim
over the pages.
consent — check.
abstinence — check.
STDs — check.
i feel that something is missing
because all i see are
girls and boys,
boys and girls,
nothing more than that.
what about —
i don’t say the words aloud
but the book knows what i’m asking.
it smiles back maliciously
and says,
i’m sorry dear,
queer girls like you
don’t exist in textbooks.
– the missing chapter
Image Source: Pinterest
how was your day?
mom asks.
it’s become a routine
to ask this question
once we’re in the car.
good, i learned about periods
in health class today,
i reply.
so you understand everything now?
i nod.
she nods.
good.
– and that was the end of the conversation
Image Source: Awardsdaily
when people ask me,
when do you plan on
telling your children
about how sex works?
i’ll respond by saying,
whenever they want to know.
no more of the nonsense
about the storks.
i will sit them down
and offer them the truth,
only the truth, and
nothing but the truth.
i’ll be the teacher
i wish i knew
and give them the sex ed
i never had.
why deny them the truth
about the miracle of life?
– this is how the conversation begins
Image Source: iStock
why i wrote this piece
i’ve always been frustrated by how little i knew when it came to my own body, sex, or sexuality. the sex ed classes i had were short, rushed, and lacking in information i would have found useful. this is a call for a more progressive and inclusive sex ed curriculum, one where people are encouraged to talk openly about these often stigmatized topics.
Author
