A butterfly cinquain for Colleen’s photo prompt.
Photo ©2019 Willow Willers
Displayed,
her promises,
her story offered in
open hands, bared, indelibly
printed.
His hands are an unwritten page,
secret. He smiles, reads, takes—
her story is
now his.
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Jane Dougherty Writes 
So much to me turns on word “secret.” He remains in secret while he takes her story.
Yes, my feeling about all these marriage rituals. It’s a cash transaction however else it’s wrapped up, and ‘he’ gives nothing away.
Wow! “His hands are an unwritten page,” says volumes when compared to the lovely story her hands hold.
I have the feeling that all of this is just wrapping up the bride parcel. I doubt that the husband is required to divulge his secrets or even promise not to have any more.
The timing on this is perfect, since I just went to a Pakistani-American wedding this past weekend, and my friend -the bride- had the most gorgeous henna designs on her hands and feet. Her family and their culture are definitely more conservative than mine, but at the same time, I didn’t have nearly the cynical interpretation that you do here. Having heard her talking about their courtship from the beginning, it wasn’t that different from any other young woman talking about the man she loves. Maybe it’s different now, or in America.
I think it all comes down to having a choice and how you define love. It’s a tricky one to navigate. I know lots of men who claim that they deny their daughters any freedom of choice, out of love. They don’t believe their daughters have the wit to decide anything for themselves. They are the same men who expect mother and daughters to be busy in the kitchen while father and the boys watch TV. Fine until someone says ‘I’d rather not’.
I’m happy to say that –although I know *of* such men, I do not personally know many who are that bad. At least none that I’ve kept in contact with after learning how awful they are.
It’s a cultural thing. Your traditions might tell you that’s how we do things, but they risk becoming called awful if you persist in the face of a dominant culture that says, not here we don’t. Then you get a culture clash.
Just remembered your difficulties with the owls. Maybe they used your house as an mouse trap, and thought you only have to open the windows for them, to be able catching the mice. 😉
I think you’re right about that. Why did hennaed hands make you think of it?
Dont ask me, Jane! I honestly dont know.
🙂
A darker take on the prompt, Jane. Well done!
Thanks Diana. I’m very cynical about ‘traditions’. They are too often excuses for carrying on practices that enlightened societies should have abolished. Don’t know about the Hindu hand decorations, but the North African women with tattooed faces look awful. Like branded cattle. There’s the henna that you can (eventually) scrub off, but the facial tattoos are indelible.
Agreed. When I was reading about this, the symbolism of the designs were lovely for the most part. (Though any mention of “purity” stands my hair on end). And culturally it seems to be a “bachelorette party.” I don’t know if there are any deeper, darker meanings.
Just woe betide her if she can’t colour in the purity symbol…