Today nothing really inspired me to write a poem and so I took refuge in the prompt of the day. The prompt at NaPoWriMo 2013 is to write something based on observations during a walk. It is 11:00 p.m of April 13 th in India now and I am going to be very busy the next morning. I could come up with this poem at this hour ….hope it is fitting for the challenge today.
The mark of vermilion in hair is a symbol of married Hindu women. Also the system of dowry still very much exists even though legally it is not allowed in our country. The groom’s parents demand anything as per their whims…house, furniture, gold, car, cash and threaten to cancel the wedding if their demands are not met. The social stigma of a canceled marriage is so nerve wrecking for those unfortunate brides and their parents that they tend to bend backwards to not alienate the grooms’ side. Though slowly the women are standing up against such injustices and people have changing their mindset, but it still a long way to go..
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Ha..fastest poem I ever wrote and I think it meets the “ottava rima for eighth” by NaPoWriMo. However I think I will stick to writing the spontaneous poems that come to my mind and the issues that effect my thinking instead of these prompts because they are more satisfying and close to my heart. I hope I will survive the 30 days…
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The NaPoWriMo challenge for day 7 was to write a poem with all lines as a complete statement but the last one must be a question…. I hope I have correctly attempted this challenge.
A lot of women have been in some or the other way suppressed by men in their life. Many Indian girls have been stopped from receiving higher education, follow their dreams, speak out their mind. Instead they have been always reminded of small freedoms and told to be thankful for the same. They are still considered less than the male siblings even if they are more brainy. This poem shows the plight of such women.
My husband turned forty today and between all the baking and cooking for his birthday celebration , I managed to write this poem as today’s entry.
Shoma Abhyankar 