The price of success is heavy, feels Dr Pragya in this autobiographical poem exclusively for Different Truths.

The day I won, 
much to others' disappointment
it began to burn
I turned into the scorching sun
unbearable to be seen with naked eyes
Eyes turning brown to green
kind to mean 
were clearly getting visible
 
They began to use tinted shades
to cover the eyes that don’t lie
and I could only see their obligated smile
demanding trust

Sunshades make it easier to escape
easier to look on the other side 
through you

Neglecting your presence
Trying to pretend
it's not affecting them
But the burns can't be hidden
it's all over the skin
They don't know a thing! 

Sunburns, but the moon cools
How you choose to look
depends on you

Picture design by Anumita Roy, Different Truths

Dr Pragya Bajpai

Dr Pragya Bajpai, Ph.D. is a poet, editor, and academic serving at the National Defence Academy, Pune. She is a postgraduate from Lucknow University and has received her PhD in English Literature from Banaras Hindu University, India. She has authored two collections of poems titled A Potpourri of Proverbs (2021) and Conversation on Cue (2023), co-authored with Shefali Nautiyal. She has edited five anthologies celebrating the armed forces.