“Girls bearing the load”

By Azelian Esther I carry burdens, the chores stack high, While my cousins lounge, as if life’s a game they play sly. Tasks accumulate, my smile wears thin, Why am I the one to do it all, while they relax within? Double standards cut like shards of glass, Expectations shift—if I’m a girl, if they’re boys, alas. I’m exhausted, aching in the shadows, Sadness wraps around me—when will fairness show? I dream of swapping roles, of balance at last, Voices rising, “Equal’s the way, no more holding fast.” Yet the weight of tradition still binds us tight, I struggle, they breathe free, injustice cloaked in night. I glance around, see girls bearing the load, While boys laugh freely, with no strings or code. I clench my fists, murmur to the stars,“When will we break free? When will justice be ours?”