The Caged Bird
I am twelve.
I sit here, covered from head to toe
in wonderfull bright colours.
Laughter and joy
echo in the corners
of this barren room,
a room where I will transform
from a maiden to a wife.
The thick veil sways
from my uneven breath
and transforms the walls
into a flowering meadow.
A meadow where I can
let my hair go,
dance in the wind,
and breathe in all the colours
of this boundless pasture.
My husband is 50 years old.
Everyone rejoices how wonderful
this marriage is.
I never learned to read or count
since my father said
I will be kidnapped
and raped
if I went to school.
He is so wise.
I sit here, waiting for my husband
to make me a wife.
