A pantoum is a poem with the second and fourth lines repeated as the first and third lines of the next quatrain, and the first line repeated as the last line. It has an abab rhyme scheme. I just wrote this for my poetry class tomorrow. Enjoy!

1963
Cherie E. H.

Desperation sinks into her skin;
the castor oil is hot in her hand.
Something's growing deep within...
she doesn't expect us to understand.

The castor oil is hot in her hand.
It's lucky about her father's heart
(she doesn't expect us to understand),
his quinidine tabs are held apart.

It's lucky about her father's heart;
a handful was more than enough.
His quinidine tabs are held apart.
God, this night is going to be rough.

A handful was more than enough,
though bitter on her tongue.
God, this night is going to be rough.
She's so young, she's so damned young.

Though bitter on her tongue,
it's far worse going down.
She's so young, she's so damned young,
her older boyfriend just skipped town.

It's far worse going down
to someone like her mom.
Her older boyfriend just skipped town,
she laughs, who's going to take her to prom?

To someone like her mom
she's better off on the streets.
She laughs, Who's going to take her to prom
in all these bloody sheets?

She's better off in the streets
where women use red rubber lines
in all these bloody sheets.
Her chemicals combine.

Where women use red rubber lines,
someone will hold her hand.
Her chemicals combine...
She doesn't expect you to understand.

Someone will hold her hand.
The quinidine's kicking in.
She doesn't expect you to understand
Where she's going, where she's been.

The quinidine's kicking in,
and her perception's growing thin,
where she's going, where she's been...
desperation sinks into her skin.