Mask Poem by Prafulla Kumar Panda

This mask I wear
holds me into life
filtering my moments against nano particles
that rush like meteorites to crush my face
and ebb my marching blood from life's race

it masks my all smiles-
some vague and some puerile
that lurk like stars in the sky of life
with their growing glowing every day
or gloaming slowly into a hellish bay
though life dangles like bubbles and froth
but it does precariously thrive behind a piece of cloth!
can it hide that mask
that I put on eons back-
soon after I lost my innocence?

this creamy-melanin on my face
had masked my every pleasure and pain-
when I played truant with my teacher
like that of the monsoon with the farmer
or slipped into Aman Nahak's orchard in the hot afternoon sun
after frisking my mother as a docile son
or, as pretending as an owl
when, as a lover, I stood utterly truthful
for many an attempt made my attempts fruitful
or, when I knew
my glib tongue can earn profit
so, slowly I puffed up my leech-alike motif
or, shut and cried behind the doors
and like gnats I chirped for nights
and lost among countless pegs of drinks
only to rise in the day
to listen to the world that did say-
'a beautiful face
has brilliantly played his part on the stage
in between myriad lights that crisscross from all sides'

not afraid of that cosmic light
to alight from far off site
to unmask my mask
one day
with a heavenly verdict.

©® Prafulla Kr. Panda, India.
All rights reserved.