Human Head

One day, the famous
milkman of the village had
to face a fierce rain
while conveying milk to us.
He sat tight in a dark grove.

The pitter-patter
lulled him to sleep and after
an obscure dream, he
woke up hearing mystic sounds.
Before him were enchanting

fairies singing, their
lithe bodies dancing—unclothed.
They were fluttering
like confetti but stopped dead
when they saw him. Despite their

shock at being found,
their leader told him he could
come and watch them dance.
He only had to make sure
never to talk about it.

So, every day, he
delivered the milk fast to
spend more time watching
the bewitching ballet. When
people noticed the change in

his behaviour, they
started to ask why he was
always in a rush.
He bypassed them for some time,
but so persistent were they

that he had to tell
the truth. The villagers were
stunned at not knowing
such a spectacle. The next
day, when the milkman went to

watch the dance, angered
fairies were waiting for him.
Feeling betrayed, they
turned their back and disappeared;
the milkman was petrified.

His head swelled, swelled and
swelled and went to repose on
top of Pieter Both,
the most iconic mountain
here due to this famous curse.

Amit Parmessur, 39, lives in Quatre-Bornes, Mauritius, where he spent his adolescence hating poetry before falling in love with its beauty. His poems have appeared in over 165 magazines, inclduing WINK, The Rye Whiskey Review, Night Garden Journal, Hobo Camp Review, Ann Arbor Review and Ethos Literary Journal. He is a two-time Pushcart Prize and two-time Best of the Web nominee.

Find more by Amit Parmessur in the Author Index.