Theme : Sacrifice
Sacred Flames
by Divya Chandran

She sits alone in the midst of the excitement
Of loud congratulations and silent envy
'Such a lucky girl' is the day's statement
For she is the demure bride-to-be.

'The groom is an MBA and he earns well!'
Her parents boast to each wedding guest
Do they realize they are trying to sell
A daughter, destined for a greater quest?

Adorned and decked up, in ancestral jewels
She, who fights and speaks for the defenceless,
Now sits, silenced by the ancient duels
Between a heart's desire and conventional senses.

The sacrificial lamb on the altar of culture,
Her mehndi oozes the blood of broken dreams,
The criss-cross of designs, the imminent rupture,
Piercing her life veins, stifling her screams.

A performance of grandeur and excess opulence,
She carries the burden of docile submission,
To his wishes, his needs and his dominance.
Being the pawn in the games of tradition.

"This is what is best for you"
and "You should thank your stars"
She was told by those who, for years, convinced themselves
That being a woman, solely means enduring the filial scars
Inflicted by bonds created,
In front of these sacred flames..

November 30, 2008   

The Week of November 30, 2008     

26/11 : Just Another Date by Ramendra Kumar 
A Beautiful Form by RD Ashby 
Indulging Winter by Barbara Washington 
Mumbai, I Bequeath My Death by Dr. Amitabh Mitra  
Pain by Dr. Ram Sharma 
Sacred Flames by Divya Chandran 
Snapshots by Ramendra Kumar 
Tale of a Lane by Soumya Das 
Terror in Mumbai by Jan Oscar Hansen 
The Man Who Drags His Cloud Around by Stephen C Watson
The Real Life by Namrata Roy Chowdhury
Unfurl Your Wings by Rani Shobha 
Your Words by Ramendra Kumar 

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