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MADAM BUTTERFLY
She breezes into my home Teetering on her 6” stilettos Reaches out as if to embrace me Is careful not to come too close I might crease her designer clothes Kisses the air next to my cheek Note : not my cheek She might smudge her lipstick She’s reeking of some strange perfume Not fruity, musky or flowery…just strange The smoke from a hundred cigarettes Clinging to her carefully tousled hair I wave her into my living room Suddenly her eyes begin to scroll With dollar signs like in a slot machine As she fixes a tag on everything she sees My clothes, my trinkets, the paint on my nails Oh!!! how down market…screams the look on her face I feel like a moth trying to match up to a butterfly I run into the kitchen to make us some tea Daintily she sips from the inexpensive terracotta mug I can see the slight trembling she tries to control As she looks around at my humble home Asks me distractedly how I have been I answer…“Can’t complain and you?’ “Oh! I’ve been well and around as you must know On page three of every newspaper you read Am the belle of the ball everywhere I go What with a husband who rakes in the greens” I don‘t add, “isn’t he the one who was married thrice? His last wife dumped for the belly dancer in Dubai?” I chide myself for my sarcastic train of thought And decide to be fair to this fair friend of mine I take a good look at her made up face Dark circles under her red rimmed eyes A cut near the lips, not concealed too well The doorbell rings, my husband walks in Gives me a grin and a warm embrace Smiles his hello at our beautiful guest Asks me what I have done with my day And leaves us to our girlie talk I turn around and catch the look in her eyes Wistful, envious and pained In her world full of money and glitz Such little room for real warmth and love I choke back words I long to say…. I'm not even close to perfect myself, but hey!!!
Drop your act and get on with life All the wealth in the world cannot displace The grief in your heart that shows on your face So reach out and touch …never be afraid to give What goes around comes around for sure So embrace the world with genuine joy My dear friend, madam butterfly Swati Chandran
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