Shaving
by: Haresh Daswani

Facing his father’s mirror,
Eyes studying its face,
Studying the facial follicles,
Years of stories kept,
Innocence stored,
Splashing water on the face,
Preparing for the transition,
Moistened face looks calm,
As cream is applied,
Preparing for a ritual,
Every man’s first,
However unceremonious,
However quiet,
This ceremony passed on,
In front of the mirror,
As it will be of habit…

Holding up a razor sharp,
Touching the face,
Cold,
Moving through,
Cutting as it passes,
With all the innocence gone,
A transition in every stroke,
With stories forgotten,
Emerged bare…

At its completion,
The work is cleaned,
Splashed with water,
To clarify,
To confirm,
As the towel dries,
And a new work is unveiled,
A new face,
The same face,
Stares at the same mirror…

While in the same,
It is all different,
While all different,
It is still the same,
As he turns around,
And comes back tomorrow…