Mirror Poem by Debleena Neera Chatterjee

After a long gap of two months/
They brought my father home./
He was undergoing/
Radiotherapy./
It was a futile try to cure him/
From deadly cancer./
Half of his face was burnt-/
Full-black it was, /
Half, skinned, as earlier./
When he was taken to the wash-room/
For a shower, /
Maa drew the curtain over the dressing-MIRROR, /
To his unseen comfort./
She has forgotten, /
Though the curtain was drawn, /
He had seen through/
Maa's pretension of being extra-normal, /
Sister's afraid countenance, /
And my gulping of shock.