The Cover
The Cover by Anupama Mandal explores the poignant contrast between a polished outward appearance and the silent scars hidden within. This moving poem reflects on the performance of being fine while masking deep emotional pain.
The Cover
The notebook of life
Holds pages that have slowly yellowed with time.
Its cover is elegant and pleasing to the eye,
Yet within those pages
Live the scars of silent suffering.
Tell me, reality,
Can you truly see them?
Ah, but I remember now,
You cannot.
You only feel the warmth of the surface,
Never the pain hidden underneath.
So the cover remains bright,
Carefully bound, neatly arranged,
Beautiful enough to convince the world
That everything inside
Must also be perfect.
The purpose is simple,
To keep those worn, faded pages
Hidden from every curious gaze.
And yes, I have succeeded.
People look at the colorful cover
And say with admiration,
“How graceful, how well-ordered it all seems.”
Perhaps that was the only wish,
And after countless efforts
I have finally mastered it:
The flawless performance
Of a play called
“I am fine.”
— Anupama Mandal