‘Evil Chromosomes:’ A Poem About Female Feticide

by Sara Chansarkar

Pained and shamed, parents looked at her
An enormous burden, not their lovely daughter

Her brothers were fed milk and cream
She tasted them daily, but in her dreams

Boys were sent to school with uniforms and books
She stayed back, scrubbing and cleaning dirty nooks

Still a child, they hastily arranged her marriage
Too anxious to relieve themselves of the baggage

She weaved her new life with patience
Head hung low always in obedience

Soon she learned she was pregnant
‘Baby’ the word felt warm and fragrant

Dreams of the baby filled her nights
Already hugging it in her arms tight

Showered with unprecedented care and love
She couldn’t thank enough the heavens above

They took her to the clinic that ominous day
“It’s  a girl”, she heard the doctor shamefully say

An acrid potion was forced brutally down her throat
Female feticide is still rampant in lands remote

[Read More: Watch UN Women Pakistan’s Powerful New #BeatMe Campaign Video]

Sara is an Indian, living in the USA for the past 11 years. Columbus, Ohio has been her home away from home in India. She is an IT professional, who loves to immerse and lose herself in the ocean of written word. Sara is a voracious reader who can chew words in any shape or form. She also pours her heart out through my fingers on her blog This I Believe, which is a medley of personal essays, insights, poets and short stories. Her blog has been featured on top Indian blogs lists and her poems have published in the Haiku journal. You can find Sara on her Facebook profile.