As the day began,
I woke up to live once again.
I went to the kitchen
to enjoy the fresh air
and the birds singing.
I closed my eyes and let the sun’s rays gently fall on me.
But abruptly, a voice that belongs
to my husband
interrupts with anger.
I forgot to wash his work clothes.
Suddenly, the sun felt scorching
and my body sweaty and sticky.
My eyes see now;
I can’t close them to the scene that is my life.
What a way to start the day,
I find myself saying.

Editor's note: Haneen married at age 19. She has discovered, belatedly, the prison that early marriage can be, and will write frequently on this topic.