ON THE MIRROR A NAKED CHILD

On the mirror, a naked child  
in the mouth of a snake  
on its belly;  
no water, no mantra,no one around.  
  
There in the garden  
a fear keeps growing.  
The shade of a faintly acquainted pomegranate  
keeps on lenthening.  
  
The naughty child  
boxes the ear of the snake,  
the shade goes still  
on the boundary.  
  
The naked child  
in the mouth of a snake  
on its belly  
goes on blabbering :  
this time I have been caught;  
I will not play with you, once again.  
  
No water, no mantra, no one around.  
  

Translation :
Rabindra K Swain