THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.

In the shadows of tradition's dark reign,

Lies a custom causing women pain,

Dowry, they call it, a cruel demand,

Where happiness fades like shifting sand.

A woman's worth tied to material things,

Her dreams crushed, her spirit in chains,

Innocence traded for worldly wealth,

As she's bartered away for her family's stealth.

Furniture, T.V., Fridge, Jewellery, Car, Utensils,

Are usually demanded and exchanged,

Leaving the marriage ceremony to become a trade,

Remember, a marriage ceremony is not a business deal.

In this cruel dance, she suffers the most,

Her dreams shattered like a forgotten ghost,

Her love, her care, her nurturing grace,

All diminished in this heartless chase.

But listen, dear world, and hear her plea,

A wife's love is boundless, pure, and free,

Her heart is a sanctuary, a sacred shrine,

Where love and compassion eternally entwine.

Why burden her with this painful yoke?

When she's more precious than any stroke,

Her laughter, her strength, a beacon of light,

Shining through the darkness, igniting the night.

Mental and physical torture, harassment, Domestic violence,

emotional abuse, Abetment to suicide, dowry death,

we read these terms in newspapers,

and we think that this is not our problem.

Let us break these chains, unshackle her soul,

Embrace the essence that makes her whole,

In unity, let's stand, hearts filled with love,

Respecting each other as equals above.

The dowry system's veil, let's cast it away,

Embrace equality, in love's embrace we'll stay,

For a woman's worth goes beyond all gold,

Her love is a treasure, a story yet untold.

Let’s not measure the love of a woman by the grams of gold,

Let’s not judge the beauty of a woman by her face,

Let’s break the chain of dowry and harassment,

Let’s spread love, spread happiness, and live life to the fullest.