The dark side of my character
Envelops me once in a while
In the midst of fun and laughter
Mirth, gaiety and daily chatter

Lurking behind the smile
Is the surreptitious self
Waiting to strike, biding time
Expectantly, cautiously, patiently

Is the dark side real
Or just an illusion
Perhaps merely a figment
Of my own imagination

And yet it surfaces
Every now and then
Unveiling the veiled desires
Revealing my primal appetite

My eyes turn shadowy
My gaze reflecting hunger
For the forbidden fruit
For satanic splendour

Subir Chakraborty / 3rd March 2018