I heard her issue a scream
As if from behind a screen
Inside, two people, a girl, face grim
An old woman with a wide grin
‘You,’ blurted the girl, ‘have hurt me’
I know, it must have stung like a bee
‘What on earth have you done, old lady?’
‘This girl,’ I thundered, ‘is just a baby!’
‘This,’ she said with shaky hands, ‘is tradition’
This has now been pushed away by education
On the girl’s face tears ran like a stream
It’s clear she must have lost her dream
The old woman had taken her fate
As if she herself had no faith
Is the girl child’s esteem so low?
That we take into our hands the law?
Impose on her what is ‘good?’
Simply because we give her food!
She could have grown up a star
But we give her instead a scar
May never be able to be a member of the bar
Her entire life we mar
Who gave you that right?
To her fate decide
Inflict pain that will abide
Call yourself a guide!
They claim the doer is a surgeon
Then they attribute it to religion
But it’s nothing more than culture of a region
Mutilate not our girl
For she is our ultimate goal!
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