2 min read

·

Apr 17, 2025

I held back the tears, restraining the anger that burned through my heart and soul.

I held back the words, careful not to bruise another heart and mind.

I smiled at how some people cling to rusted rules in a world that’s already moving on.

I smiled at how different things could be if ignorance weren’t so stubborn and efforts weren’t so rare.

I smiled at how fatuous I was even to consider the possibility of such miracles happening.

I felt pity for the ones whose dreams remained just dreams, and I blamed their docility.

I felt pity for the ones whose words went unheard, but I blamed the dogma.

I admired the heroism of women who called out toxic masculinity, and the women who stood with them.

I admired the audacity of men who condemned women’s grit, choking on the dust of their inferiority.

I can’t agree more with the truth that patriarchy is simply manipulation dressed as tradition.

I can’t agree more with the truth that misogyny has been disguised as the norm for far too long.

I dissented from the silence of wise women who folded instead of fighting.

I dissented from the legacy passed down, to accept rather than question.

I was elated by my daydreams, where I could do anything and everything on my own.

I was elated by my thoughts of shattering the so‑called standards and the shallow stereotypes.

I was flabbergasted by how society elevates women for bearing children, but dismisses those with doctorates.

I was flabbergasted by how society relentlessly insists that women must always remain in the shadows of men, as if that’s their only place.