Like morning dew on rose petals, tears line her eyes.
The hint of a smile upon her lips hides the uncertainty inside.
And under the pressures of expectations that are on the rise,
she has to metamorphose into a diamond shining so bright.

For today, she leaves the only family she knows
to embrace another one as part of her fate
while beautiful people in beautiful clothes arrive at her door
to eat, sing, dance, make merry and celebrate.

What does she get when she has given up everything?
Are her dreams and wishes worth nothing?
And should her hopes be laid to rest, unceremoniously
under a pile of social norms and opinions?

Or is she the example of one who is brave
as she sets out into the unfamiliar, uncharted territory
of a new house, new relationships and a new name
to be the half that begins life’s very own story?