She traces dreams in mehndi lines,
Each curve a prayer, each dot a plea,
To look her love in quiet hope
And say, see me… this is me.
They call her beautiful – yes, they do,
Admire the glow upon her face,
But in her heart she waits to hear
You are my miracle, my grace
Not beauty worn for the watching world,
But beauty felt, alive, and true,
I am blessed by your existence,
My forever begins with you.
The dupatta floats between two hearts,
Where yesterday and tomorrow blend,
A sacred cloth of silent vows
Placed gently where all journeys end.
When lifted by her beloved’s hands,
The music fades, the world stands still,
In that soft fall of fabric and faith,
A lifetime bends to love’s pure will.
Lights shimmer, colors laugh and cry,
Moments bloom they’ll never part,
Yet all roads lead to one sweet truth
She is the reason, she is the heart.
A veil of dreams in woven light,
Soft as promises whispered low,
It rests upon her hopeful smile,
Where trust and tenderness grow.
Threads of love and golden prayers,
Blessings warm, ancient, deep,
carry her childhood’s gentle sighs
Into vows she’s ready to keep.
And there she stands not just a bride,
But a wish the universe fulfilled
Loved not for how the world sees her,
But for how one heart stands still
I’m Manasa Reddy Chichili, and I have a Post Graduate in Psychology,
a poet and short story writer from Hyderabad, Telangana. My haiku and tanka have been published in several journals such as Under the Basho, Mainichi Haiku, Awen, Atlantean Publishing among others. My longer poems have also been published on PoetryPotion and Neccheli. My haiku was nominated for the Touchstone Award (2025), and I have also dabbled in writing haikus directly in Japanese (in haikutown.jp).