It happens even today!

Dressed in crimson and gold,
and elegant like a princess of yore
she waits for me patiently
till I return from my office - sore;

With delicate care, I lift her,
tenderly ever so gently
she's light as a feather
and oh! so lovely;

Up close though, I see the flaw,
the trace of an age-old custom - an unwritten law
that which denies a woman her basic right
to be treated as an individual in her own right!

For up close, the golden curls
and artistic twirls
spell not my name
but that of my spouse!
it's tradition, I'm told - a wedding
invite's addressed to the man of the house!

It's not fair, I hiss
this from a friend of mine, not his!

I'm pained, I'm hurt, I realize
Twenty first century be it may,
It happens even today!!