20.5x28.5 inches; Pen drawing on handmade paper with watercolour wash (Click on image to enlarge)
SOLD. In private collection
Our eyes avoid meeting
Like moths evading darkness
But words keep spilling around
Leading us by the hand
Into meandering alleys
Dead ends...
Of old forgotten cities.
We recognize the charade
Yet, we indulge
For the sake of appearances
A fleeting glance meets
Catches flame!
We see each in the eyes of the other
Burning, a mirror of mutual shame.
Don’t take off that mask of words
The fine web of silk will tear
Revealing the dark circles
Under our smiles.
Cracks will show
In the walls of our hearts
The emotions all piled up in a row.
Keep the doors and windows barred
The curtains down, shrouded...
For fear our precious image gets tarnished.
A masterpiece so carefully crafted
With half truths and ruse
By the dust of dreams, the bile of regret
And spotless virtue, as our muse.- Rudra Kishore Mandal
