My 57th encounter with the peacock

The peacock borrowed a kitchen knife from me
What for? I asked
To slice lemons
I plan to squeeze lime juice into the stream
Plus a few neem leaves

Why so? I asked
I'm tired of drinking fresh water

My 56th encounter with the peacock

1.
Can you loan me a tree,
Asked the peacock
I will repay you next season


2.
The peacock announced the breaking news of the day
The river won't flow now
It has spondylitis
Her spine has misaligned anteriorly
Due to the extra ebb

My 55th encounter with the peacock

What are you doing?
Designing an invitation
I'm throwing a bournvita party next week
What is that sketch, asked the peacock
It's a map to the house

Trust you
To make everything so complicated
What do you suggest? I retorted

The peacock said
It's quite simple
Tell your guests to follow the scent of eucalyptus
And look for orange bougainvillas

My 54th encounter with the peacock

Last night was a rare one
The sky was mooned
What is a mooned?
As you know in a 28 day cycle the moon passes through eight phases
Mooned is the ninth phase
Happens once in 2190 years

There's no such word in the dictionary, I said
The peacock smacked his forehead with his feather
Add the word to your lexicon
Instead of being a pompous pedant

My 53rd encounter with the peacock

The peacock
Re-appeared after eons
How did you fritter away your days in my absence
Where were you?
I missed you, I said

He replied
I discovered something
What, I asked
A small not-so-grand river
It's bottom tastes tomato flavoured

My 52nd encounter with the peacock

It's a rainy day
Petulantly, he sat under a pink umbrella
Surrounded by rubber plants and peacock friends
Who were staring at me
It was his marriage day

I hesitated to invite you
Why so?
It's my fourth marriage as you know
What happened?
I never met the right one again
It's onerous

The ceremony began
Splinter of ice in the heart
The sun declining to rise
Descent to hell
No exit
No return

He knew he had joined his she-peacock
In holy matrimony 
When he shared his glass of rooh afza
That ended his rooh afza monopoly
Once and for all

My 51st encounter with the peacock

I dream of a delicatessen
The peacock places a plate in front of me
What's the breakfast menu, I ask
I'll serve you weariness
Two spoonfuls