Child Marriage: Plights Before Me

Child Marriage:

Plights Before Me.

Innocence in me,

society betrayed,
joy in me-
society destroyed,
wonderful future
ahead of me
society truncated.

Duties not ready for

society assigned me,
roles not yet learned
community placed upon
my shoulders.

Man I should call my guardian,

turns a stallion and
fellow I should call my confidant
makes me a sex-satisfying object;
one I should call a brother,
becomes a violator of my body.

School-society makes it

my enemy,
education-society makes it
less important;
economic empowerment,
society makes it a crime
before me,
freedom-society denies me,
my independence-society
makes it a sin.

Poverty-society set before
me,
eternal pains-humankind
creates for my soul;
even-what shall come from
me-fruit of belly,
society had already
committed social injustice
against.

What shall be called my own,
inheritance and tomorrow-
poverty and pains-
bequest-society keep for
them as patrimony,
life without purpose-
birthright-
they may possess, and
life without meaning,
heritage-they may pass on
to incoming generation.

Denials-they handed me as

gifts,
aborted dreams my lot
among homosapiens,
life in me-society encapsulates-
by primordial culture,
talents and good in me,
society used against me.

My sexuality-good-for-nothing,
son-of-Adam keep exploiting,
my cries from kitchen counter top
to inner room,
symphony of joy for
husband-father who keeps me
in his courtyard.

Life-yes-life with dignity,
I did not know or have,
fantasies-all I knew-
real and genuine life-
from pictures and drawings
I learned them.

Will this cycle of life continues?

Will my girls undergo same pain?
Will society keep treating girls
same way?

Mankind should save girls today,
give them education,
empower them to be
independent,
emancipate women from
shackles of poverty.

Give women a better life
to live;
stop rape,
halt prostitution,
end discrimination against
women;
Protect womenfolk
for them to PRESERVE
Life.