this one's for the girls

This one’s for the girls
who laughed and danced
that day on the beach
screamed 70s songs into the wind
and snuck past the ferry conductor
for free rides across the harbour.

This one’s for the girls,
who worried themselves sick
over each other’s problems
and memorised books to help them cope,
listing loves and wants and wishes
and couples
on covertly exchanged
scraps of exam paper.

This one’s for the girls,
thrown together by another,
second best and knowing it,
bound by comfortable silences
and sprints in the rain.

This one’s for the girls,
who no-one ever thought
would work,
who could kick over sandcastles
at least to begin with,
but proved everyone else right
in the end.

This one’s for the girls,
who don’t know what they’re
missing out on,
or what’s to come,
who only know right now,
that if they share their insecurities
someone else will feel the same.

This one’s for the girls.