No Value

A ring, a symbol, a hunk of melted metal, A jewel, big or small, does not ensure a betrothal. Pray tell, what do you know of love, This generation and the next, generation Z and Alpha, Caught in a web of inappropriate relations, Hallways echoing with whispers and giggles, Lucky am I, who walked those halls before, Untouched by the foolish games of love and lust.

Early child pregnancies, a sad reality, Babies born to multiple mothers and fathers, A vicious cycle, a never-ending story, These generations, lost, not focusing on what truly matters, Caught in gangs, nearing death, If not already dead, a tragic end to a life unlived.

Divorces and death rates, soaring high, Marriages an afterthought, a mere formality, But a ring on the finger, a symbol of love, Or so it seems, but is it truly worth the while? A useless piece of metal, a broken heart, Broken wings, a tragic ending, No value, no effort, no courtship, Just a slide into the DMs, a 3 am text,

A time when a woman's body and clothes, Were for her and her alone, A time when doors were knocked upon, And parents' approval sought, A time when efforts were made, Things were built with one's own hands, A ring, a symbol of love, A value, a meaning, a memory,

But in today's world, a ring is just a ring, Broken hearts and broken wings, A tragic end, a sad reality, But did they not see it coming, Did they not want to be alone, That is how it all happens, No one has righted this tragic ending.