by Smrithi Senthilnathan
gripping pains threatening to end me // rivers of red flowing down my legs // screams of agony begging for respite from the suffering // popping the pills, placebos and painkillers alike // wondering how others, millions of women around the world, hold through the pain // watching as men in power slander our image // drinking in their honeyed words and derogatory comments alike // observing as they barter with our bodies as though it was their decision to make // noticing how they treat us worth less than corpses // straining through the pain for justice // watching as countless others fail before me // popping the pills, the pills that only ease the physical pain
my drug of choice would be freedom from the men // the drug i take is freedom from the torment
Smrithi Senthilnathan [she/her] is a teen writer from India who aspires to become a young adult author or journalist (or both). She believes everything in this world has a story and she's made it her life's mission to capture the unwritten stories. Her work has been published in various magazines such as Sea Glass Literary, Small Leaf Press, Cafe Lit Magazine and more. You can learn more about her on her blog.
—Look for more of her work in the Winter ‘23 print issue of OC Magazine—