The Masquerade Of Life Poem by Harry Biosah

The bespectacled, bald, old man,
The custodian of the Oracle's
Of the hills and caves,
Gnashed his tobacco tainted teeth,
Languidly stroked his lengthy grey beard
With his spindly fingers
He crossed and uncrossed his legs;
Googled me intently,
Then,
Spoke in his guttural vocal:
So you desire knowledge
About the masquerade of life?
I stared at him as if in a trance,
Then quietly nodded my head

A wry smile accosted his tobacco tainted teeth
With his spindly fingers,
He tossed seven white cowries
On the mud floor;
Googled them intently
Between the rims of his spectacles,
Nodded his bald head,
Lifted his bushy, grey, wild looking eye brows,
Then slowly but deliberately
Began his epistle

Uwabunkeonye, life is like a dog;
It can be sweet and sour
Just as a dog plays with it's teeth,
It also bites with it
Beef embodies protein
But it generates mad cow disease
Birds are lovely, colorful creatures,
But birds generate bird flu
Snakes are poisonous
But snake venom is an antidote for cancer.

Uwabunkeonye,
Have you ever wondered why the chameleon
Constantly changes its color?
Or, why a masquerade never stands rooted to a spot?
Uwabunkeonye, my son,
Life is a paradox