BY SAKINA S. DOSSAJI
She sobbed behind her
Bejewelled, red veil.
The drummers intensifying
The depth of her pain.
The ladies chorused a
sweet, wedding song.
Glasses tinkled
The sound of laughter in peals.
Her lips smeared with dark, red,
lip shade,
Her groom smiling ear to ear.
His clothes pressed neatly,
Her garland felt like a noose.
She was not ready to be a child bride,
She had huge dreams to build.
“She’s a girl child, what more can
she study,” a thick voice bellowed.
In the years to come,
She raised babies.
Kneaded dough,
Perfected house chores.
A sudden illness took him
Away from her forever,
Leaving her financially unstable.
How she wished she had
completed her education,
She had hungry mouths to feed,
And educate,
Fulfil their needs and wants.
Her world was dark,
A hardship
To survive in today’s world.
“Study well, study hard,”
She pleaded to all
With imploring eyes.
(21% of young women worldwide
get married as children).
Sakina Dosaji’s contact is sakinakiwi@gmail.com
