kanmaniyaaga

Did she cut off her thaali?
Cutting off her thread of secrets,
Did she slip off the metti?
Slipping away her regrets,
She did not have to,
“I want the freedom and the girl!”
With girlfriend in hand,
She never agreed to a marriage proposal.

Did she get disowned?
Father would rather have a son,
Mother would rather have a married daughter,
Did she end up without a home?
Homeless, however not a soulless being,
She carries her home with her wherever she goes,
With that her many closets.

She gained new friends,
A makeshift family,
Yet she misses her relatives,
Her dearest Amma and Appa,
She never could shut them out of her heart,
No matter how hard she tried,

Even if they coldly shamed her,
Amma and Appa are not callous,
A weighted silence,
A small reunion,
“Eppothum iruppaai nam kanmaniyaaga”*

Photo credit: Subhalakshmi

Thaali – the wedding necklace
Metti- toe rings
Amma- Mother
Appa- Father
*“You shall always be our loved one (literally, precious like an eye)”