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# Cover
- URL: https://dianaludwick.com/cover/
- Published: 2026-02-18T20:50:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T20:11:37.000Z
- Description: “Cover,” a musing on book faces--and human ones. Written February 18, poem 049 in a series of 365 poems written by Diana Ludwick in 2026. Photo, "Funeral Mask, Louvre," by Diana Ludwick (c) 2026.
- Author: Diana Ludwick
- Tags: 2026 Poetry Challenge, Poems, Advertising, Books, Image, Insights, Intuition, Marketing, Physicality, relationships, Value, Wooing, Worth, #Migrated-1792872215677, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-10-24 20:03

We all do it  
we judge   
a book   
by its cover  
  
And while we're shamed not to  
really, we're not wrong  
there's a lot to gain  
from a brief glance  
  
The cover provides us with   
an announcement of existence  
an advertisement of availability  
a warning of contents — reader beware  
a welcoming of eyes — linger longer  
a call to action: Have me! Care about me!   
  
We would do well  
to lean into our instincts  
assess visuals and wordplay  
embossing and colorways  
  
those superficial  
attributes add up  
into substance  
into meaning  
  
Bright bold red  
Dark stormy blue  
Muted vacant grey   
Perky pretty pink  
  
Be it book or person  
what's primped   
on the surface  
reflects what's inside  
  
Scrolly curly cursive  
Boxy block print  
Times New Roman  
Subtle sans serif  
  
What beckons  
from bookshelves  
or barstools  
the logic is the same  
  
What font is your face in?  
What colors flush your cheeks?  
What do the flash   
of your teeth telegraph?  
  
It's all there in the open  
to be interpreted  
absorbed and enjoyed  
What does your cover convey?