For The Girls - Victoria Zickas

My name is Victoria (Tori) Zickas and I started taking writing seriously in my freshmen year of college. I usually write poetry, but sometimes I write short stories too. I started off as a criminal justice major here at UAlbany and switched to an English major all because of one creative writing class. Anything is possible :)

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For all of the ones wearing the pants

Juggling love and independence

Smacking their boyfriends in the back of the head

For saying some stupid, offensive shit

For the ones who stay, even though they shouldn’t

Who lose parts of themselves

Just for a ritualistic sacrifice

For a bummy, butt-ugly man

For all the ones who remain silent

Quietly gagging themselves to

Keep the lunk alarm from going off

Not wanting to disturb the water

For the ones who are constantly let down

By all the men that infiltrate their lives,

Causing grief and strife

Leaving permanent scars in your minds

For the ones hiding in the corners of their mind

Scared to make the much-needed decision

Of ending the generous exploitation

They should have never received

For the ones with the most resilience

Choosing themselves for once

And ending their own cycle

Of borderline self-harm

For the ones that deserved better

Who can’t realize when enough is enough

Because they realized the apathy too late

Or never realized how much value they have

Because another man can love you harder and better

Without having to ask

Or never protected their own peace

For the sake of a man who never truly cared

Or never took the time to explore themselves

Becoming a slave to the “man” who once “saved” you

My personal favorite

Because I am just like you

Anyway, my point is

I would like to personally thank you

So, let me raise a glass

For all of the girls