You’ve heard of a sick day
When you coughed your guts out
Runny nose,
swollen eyes
You’ve heard of a sick day
When you retched,
Were wretched,
No lies
You’ve heard of a sick day
When you broke some bones
Painful fractures
Bandages and ties
You’ve heard of a sick day
When there was blood
Trickling over skin
And cries
You’ve heard of a sick day
When you pulled a muscle
Needed a therapy
Multiple tries
Now you will hear of
A mental health day:
And we will know the mission is complete
When in a classroom in a public school
A student can avail medical assistance for
A mental affliction, without being called weak, or a fool
Let’s normalise this phenomenon,
And trivialise the naysayers
And make sure
It is never the other way ’round
Kritika is studying media management, writes features and creates a fortnightly newsletter called The Mental Health Mirror. She’s been told she is annoyingly upbeat about the impact that words can have. She reads a lot, perhaps, even into your words. Cares too much, even about the next meal she is going to have. She is a mental health advocate owing to personal experiences.
