STANDING TALL AFTER A FALL
by Sandra Martyres
You will my friend recall
The day you made me fall
O what a terrible fall it was
When I realised the cause
Your Mother had chosen for you
Which is what most good Mothers do
A gentle, obedient and perfect bride
She left you no choice but to quickly decide
That our friendship had to be set aside
Of course you tried to explain to me
That I could never hope to be
Fully accepted into your family
Being a foreigner and well-educated
I was a bit too liberated
To ever get integrated
Into a conservative Indian household
Where women do whatever they are told
So your promises had to be broken
And the price you paid was just a small token
To meet a really noble cause - your filial duty
For which you said God would compensate me
There was no need for me to be upset
I could my eyes on another more eligible guy set
And with those comforting words you disappeared
Leaving me teary eyed, shocked and deeply disturbed
Now after all these long years
I no longer shed for you any more tears
In fact I even thank you for dispelling my fears
For leading me to discover new friends
Who happily did a helping hand extend
To pull me out of a state of despair
And help me my broken heart to repair
That terrible bad dream I no longer recall
I am now standing tall after the fall
