Dear Society

Dear Society,

You tell me to be successful,

“Reach for the stars,” you always say,

Yet you pay me 75% of a man’s salary throughout my whole lifespan.

Why should I have to prove my worth

Because men are automatically the standard –

Something that was decided before I began?

And when I dress how I want I am criticized

“You asked for it,” you tell me;

Men are allowed to objectify me just because they can?

I shouldn't have nightmares 

About that dark night

When I was pulled into a black sedan,

But it is harder and harder

For girls like me to get justice

So I'm sitting in a room of parenthood with a plan. 

Your standards are backward,

Your expectations weigh me down;

It seems that everyone has come to understand

That I’ll work and I’ll toil,

But no matter what I do,

I will always be less than a man.