Face-to-face With A Faceless Face

Ndaba Sibanda

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

her 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 is 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!

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