Dowry The Game

Aditi Jogdand

In a world where love and marriage should be pure,
The practice of dowry remains a stubborn lure.
A bride to be, caught up in the dowry game,
Is but a mere pawn in an unfair claim.

A father's love for his daughter, pure and true,
Should not be measured by the gifts he can accrue.
For dowry, the price tag of a bride,
Is but a cage in which her spirit will hide.

Her worth is not measured in material things,
But rather in the joy and love she brings.
Her heart's desires, her passions and dreams,
Should be the focus of the suitor's schemes.

Yet still we see the dowry system thrive,
A stain on the fabric of modern life.
The value of a woman, cheapened by this trend,
Her life's path narrowed, her choices penned.

Forced to marry someone who'll pay the price,
Her heart's desire dismissed, a sacrifice.
Her life now at the mercy of a stranger's whim,
Her spirit crushed, her future dim.

A father who cannot afford the fee,
Will surely face societal scrutiny.
A daughter who cannot find a match,
Will face ridicule and often dispatch.