The Girl Child

By Khushee Joshi

We have all heard the tale

Don't give birth to a girl

They are bound to fail

But those angels unaware

About this tale of deceit

That they will lose

Their chance at life

Even before their first heartbeat,

Just like a seedling

Crushed by the weight of a hoe,

By the very family

She thought would help her

Touch the skies that glow,

For those of us who survived,

We could only pray

We are not victimized

By what social norms have to say

Cause we get little to no choice

They decide the reputation of our name

A life where education is an unrealistic dream

And the most we could ask for

Is living without the shadow

Of an unknown man, before eighteen,

It’s not all of us who succumb to this fate

Some of us are blessed with fairy tales

While the others find their way back to heaven,

This time, preparing for their fight

Wielding their blades.

By Khushee Joshi