… FACES
written by: Sanu Sharma
@TheSanuSharma
translated by: Suman Pokhrel
@sumanpokhrel
Hidden are
the faces around me,
like words tucked within quotation marks.
Some faces hide their shamelessness,
while others conceal their rage.
Some cover their envy,
and others, their pride.
Behind masks of smiles,
some faces have buried their pain,
while others have hidden
almost their entirety.
Every face is hidden
behind some mask or another,
yet still, they are deciphered,
just as phrases are understood
from within quotation marks.
A question lingers in my mind –
will these faces ever
emerge from their masks one day,
or will they always
pretend to hide behind their cover?
NOVEMBER 2024 AUTHOR OF THE MONTH at Spillwords.com
Sanu Sharma is a Nepali language novelist, short story writer, poet and lyricist. She has authored seven novels, two collections of short stories, a collaborative collection of ghazals, and several lyrical works. Her writing addresses the challenges faced by women, girls, and marginalized people, shedding light on familial and societal issues that often go unexplored in literature, whereas her poetry and lyrics explore universal emotions. Sharma’s short story collection, ‘Ekadeshmaa,’ garnered acclaim and was shortlisted for the prestigious Nepali award, the Madan Puraskar, in 2018. Her novels and short stories have been adapted into audio and visual performances by numerous admirers. Many of her ghazals and lyrical writings have been set to music by various composers and performed by different singers. Her most recent book, a collection of short stories titled ‘Arko Deshma’ (translated as ‘In a New Place’), was published in April 2024 and has been shortlisted for major literary awards in Nepal: the Padmashree Sahitya Puraskar (Padmashree Literature Award) and the Kavidanda Rashtriya Aakhyan Puraskar (Kavidanda National Award for Fiction).
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