Masquerades Poem by Barima Basoah

I wish, I wish, is a taboo.
If so, all deserve to be banished.
If wishes were horses,
beggars would ride.
what the insatiable eyes create,
a crazy world full of fantasies.

I asked of time,
they said morning, afternoon
and evening. I asked of time again,
they said day and night,
but I could only see all night,
with not a single ray of light.

The world has gone black out,
like a plague of gross darkness.
night of masquerade carnival,
full of liars, pretenders, fraudsters,
angelic devils, devilish saints,
beautiful beasts and attractive monsters.

They dress up in disguise and masks,
some beautiful, some ugly and scary,
some in angelic grace, some in apostolic robe,
like wolves in sheep skin.
and some in monstrous skin coats,
covering their weakness and vulnerability.

The world is now a paradise,
of carnival of fashion and jams,
of film and theater productions,
with some rehearsing and others playing their roles,
with deep cravings leading to atrocities,
it all ends in destruction.

They speak the mind of God,
and walk the will of Satan,
behind the mask, they voice their opinions,
and judge others to doom,
I seek for real men,
But all I see and find are masquerades.


From the collection: HUMANS