By: Pijush Kanti Deb

Mr. Pikantid is not at all my friend
but an eye-protruding wonder to me
as he looks quite contented
without owning a tail or horns.
Maybe, he is blessed and bloomed
by someone he worships and meditates
or he is taught and trained
by someone he admires and obeys,
enabling
his eyes to scan the hidden wishes-
good or evil,
whether in the depth of the pools of eyes
or in the dense jungle of heart or stomach.
Indeed, it’s true that
he never goes nearer to any acting school or college
and delays to start his normal day
chewing neem leaves at first
and then rectifying his nakedness
looking at his mirror
despite his sophisticated self-collocation
and sometimes,
he calls upon his friends and pigeons
with gifts and breads in his hand
and makes himself upset
watching only pigeons in his domain
but no one as his friend.
What he is?
An earthly curse or a celestial blessing?
He comes back to his mirror again
and goes straight to his workshop happily
witnessing the smiling God and the gloomy Devil
in his neat and clean mirror.