My Wedding Day
My bridal lehenga spills across the hall
embroidered bold with cursive curls and jewels.
At last, the lal dupatta drapes and falls
over my gleaming gaze beneath the floral crewel.
The fragrant henna stains my hands maroon
enriched with weaving petals, leaves, and buds
as fine ornate bangles jingle their tune
and anklets stutter with each high-heeled thud.
My family, adorned in lustrous silks,
absorb themselves in naan, rumours, and rice –
the new-groom feeds me roshmalai and milk
then feasts on curries glowing red with spice…
and as we bow to our parents with respect,
the crimson garlands bloom around our necks.
Farzana Nasrin is a BA English graduate who has a passion for poetry and is an aspirational writer. She is currently studying a Creative Writing MA and writes poetry in her free time.