M E S M E R I S E

               -transfix, hypnotise, grip, dazzle, enchant, charm, captivate

He felt someone was watching even following him closely......

A swift turnaround registered a damsel, prim poise and thin…moved closer........

Mascara smudged eyes like a panda…

She slowly rolled her eyes side way, a ploy for his attention..

Hands held up …like a medical specimen, he pulled her closer…

She stood with mouth agape

He returned her smile, mouth open even wider like a toad..

The clouds cast a shadow over her eyeshadows...

He felt as if he had been transported to another era..

His eyes pierced fiercely on her ..

She yearned to be taken away…..

Suddenly, the police siren swiftly drove pass ..

He had no time to check his moral compasses…

Drawn by her flashing fluttering eye lashes 

A beauty to watch…beauty beyond beautiful…..

He later found out….

She is a courtesan, not a countess..

A high class prostitute, not a princess..

A courtesan with eyes for wealthy clients…

When she announced her fee….the seriousness of the game punched his ego!

She smiled stepped a little backward from his embrace….

He returned a weak smile…

No longer mesmerised!

Submitted for Poetry Competition By Akon Margaret Kalu (14 August 2019)