Mamta’s comments on the synthetic beauty business and its promised Nirvana in this poem.

In an upmarket high rise
A swanky hall
With cubicles minuscule
Mirrors and  lights of every size
large and small
Brisk vanity business
Goes round the clock
The till keeps ringing with manifold gain
A pretty petulant woman
Seated at the reception counter
Checks receding inventory stock
In front of the computer
Pivot of the parlour                                
It’s cosmetic ambassador
A femme fatale in her terrain
Inquires with painted eyebrows
Arched in perpetual disdain
The exclusive package she’s the one to explain
Once agreed upon the attractive bargain
The drill of indulgence begins with a favourite refrain
Of morphing a gauche fraulein into a diva divine
Deft hands guide the client to revamp her flawed mien
Unmasked, disrobed
The hunger for beauty reigns supreme
Seekers eager  to go through the rigorous regime
Kneaded, pinched, scoured
To morph wistfully like the sylph on the poster
Acquire the glossy calendar girl’s lustre
Manicure, pedicure, facial
Packed session from noon till sun begins to lax
Delicate floral shampoo spreads its perfume
Lime and lemony fragrance of sugary wax
Mingled with the acrid, pungent fumes
Of peroxide and ammonia that singe and scorch
With faces to bleach and  hair to groom
Straight to wavy perm, silky smooth to curls awry
The deft hands and hawkish eye for keen derma care
Tweezing eyebrows, tracing acne, fanning blotchy skin scare
Faint traces of moustache on the upper lip threaded bare
In between the languid vaporous siesta                                   
Sparks of effervescent gossip flow unrestrained
Animated faces converse
Of exotic vacation , lusty shopping, crazy deals
A much needed elixir by provoking envious squeals
Scandals juicy discussed with  salacious urgency
Between bunch of star struck ladies holding steamy magazines
Of separation, divorce, elopement, extra marital teasing, teenage pregnancy
Tang of sleaze and spice  added by the diffuser
Endless dribbles the drool of the receiver
Faces covered in mud pack
All ears as eyes concealed with cucumbers cool
Listen stoically lest wrinkles may make their visage slack
A sense of homecoming, a touch of seeming love and care
To ensure the customer remains loyal
In a harmonious snare
The customer elated to be pampered
Efficient service at a damn low fare
Skin toned and relaxed
Hair dyed and streaked
Body waxed
Imperfections concealed
Esteem restored
The agonising ecstasy
The unblemished soul
Triumphant, rejuvenated
Exhales freely
Rolls out a red carpet fantasy
For a vicarious celebrity.

©Mamta Joshi

Pix from Net.

Mamta Joshi

Mamta Joshi did her post graduation in History from University of Allahabad. She writes short stories, reflective essays, prose pieces on everyday life in national dailies and international e-magazines. She writes with equal ease in Hindi. For over two decades, as a teacher of English in college section at SMC, Allahabad, she has been interacting with young minds, understanding their pulse and in turn being savvy on technology, fitness, fashion, humour and rumour too.

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