Face-to-face with a Faceless Face

the sun had rolled and retired
into the cheerful cuddle of its mom,
giving way to a dense dusk to dance,
and nocturnal creatures to creep,
shamble and sing their silly songs,

late, she was stomping and singing
in a bid to give herself a false sense
of fearlessness, freeness and fun,
a hunch herded her to turn around
and take an abrupt look, and Lord!

there was something unfamiliar
about the fast fellow's familiarity,
she couldn't figure out who he was,
but his gaiety appeared like a sight
his eyes were used to slapping on,


but who is he? what is he up to?
is he rushing to catch up with me?
would he not harm me? would he say
hi? would he propose to me? would
he accept a direct or diplomatic snub?

there was an air of awkwardness,
quickness and foreignness about him
that made her hair to stand on end:
who is this long-limbed loose rover?
look at his robotic speed, his lankiness!

if only I had a cheetah
s legs that are longer
and leaner than those of other cats ... then
I would lift them off the ground and cross them
underneath my body while abounding along!
If a were a horse I would lengthen my stride




and transition from a careful, cute canter
to a faraway, flying and fierce gallop,
if a hole could just heave up and swallow
me up, if I had left home earlier ... if ...
if that man had just left me alone ...

she lamented, labored, reflected;
pondered, prayed as she purred;
was he an alien with a faceless face?
the shadowy lanky loner paced
past her quaking frame without

as much as a care or a sound
along a fine forested footpath,
as a result a mammoth mass
of gathered firewood fell off
her flighty flummoxed head!