Bruises

“The most important day for any woman’” they said,

“Today, you begin a new life,”

And strangled her with gold.

Even as everyone laughed

And wished them a happy life

And healthy children,

All she could feel was the biting pain

Of the gold choker with its cruel sheen

And the tight waistband that held her stomach

In a vice-like grip

As if to embrace the womb

That would now define her life.

That night, when she took them all off

Before the mirror,

There were bruises on her neck.

There were bruises on her neck.

When they found the young girl

Dumped like a used rag

In a dusty corner of the construction site,

There were bruises…

And much, much worse.