A tiger in human guise
Came as an invited guest
To deliver a speech.
When he spoke of human civilization,
His stripes became even more distinct.
And when he spoke of Christ’s Last Supper,
His tongue glistened with greed.
To offer an example of patriotism,
A low growl escaped his throat
As he heightened his pitch.
When the tiger-masked speaker preached of peace
Through his eyes gleamed prehistoric fangs.
Then he spoke of love
And swore by the sigh of the sky.
No one believed him.
They yearned for a miraculous door
To escape swiftly.
But by then, curiosity had expired,
And the sigh was spent.
Translated by- Farzana naz Shampa
