The Final Masquerade

The Final Masquerade napowromo 13

In his room he sat, nursing a mammoth sulk
His morbid fears hung over him in bulk.
Suddenly, outside he heard the crunch of feet
The curtains swayed and whirled to greet
The person who was heading towards his door
The wind whipped and lashed more and more.

The Casanova moon philandered with the trees
Gleaming and winking, naughty was the breeze.
“Will you let me in”, a lyrical voice softly said
He sprang from his chair, quaking with dread.
Heart beating, he raced towards the door
Apprehensive of what dangers lay in store.

At the threshold stood a breathtaking beauty
Sweet enough to make him deviate from duty.
Like one bewitched, he followed her out the gate
She took him to a glittering mansion straight
Through a window he saw people with masks
Dancing and drinking away from huge casks.

“I have lured you here”, she said with a wink
Enjoy or brood, you are now on the brink
Have your pick from these many colorful masks
And, if you want, get your fill from these casks.”
Mesmerized by the buoyant beats of the music
He donned a mask, finding nothing catastrophic.

He lounged on a settee and tried to savour
The tantalizing mocktail with the pineapple flavor
The masquerade and its cast was now in full blast
He was staggering around, and losing his senses fast.
Suddenly, there was a new twist in the tale
With the whips and lashes of a tempestuous gale.

In drunken haste he yelled, “I want more”
The revelers asked the singer for an encore
Who was crooning about death and yearning
His head was turning and his stomach churning
His breath came in gasps, he yearned for coffee
But one reveler could only offer him a toffee.

The trees hissed, “this is your last masquerade”
As he staggered towards the ornate balustrade
“Before it is late, yank away that death mask,”
In his intoxicated state, it was no easy task.
The bird in the tree broke into an autumnal dirge
From out of his stupor he could not emerge.

He fell to the floor, while the lights shimmered
His expression wavered and erratically glimmered
Like a half extinguished ember sparkled and gushed
Masked and unmasked folks towards him rushed
Neighing like restive horses in an overcrowded stable
Casting furtive looks at the bountifully spread table.

He shuddered and was dead, the fire in his eyes burned
There was some sound at the door, eyes turned
Framed in the doorway the revelers saw
A breathtaking girl whose beauty was raw
Her sighs like notes of an exquisite melody.
Competing with the song of the bird in the tree.

She walked up to the man and picked up the mask
At him hurling a gown of frayed damask
As if by a sleight of hand, the man sprung up
Looking around strangely, asking for a coffee cup.
She smiled enigmatically at him and took his pulse 

The man was thrilled and kissed her on a sudden impulse.

The revelers didn’t see two figures heading towards the door
Too engrossed in beseeching the singer for an encore.