The Rainbow of Who You Are

Poetry

Red is for the way she wishes her lips were painted,

the better to kiss away the hurt of a lover’s wounds,

even though no one ever saw the way her own pain

glazed over her eyes with the weight of tears.

*

Orange is for the way she craves sunsets

and the deliciousness of autumn breezes,

but winter often comes too soon with a rush

of chilly air that makes her hug herself for warmth.

*

Yellow is for the way she remembers tulips

that were her mother’s favorite flower,

but they were often gone too soon,

wilted before having a chance to breathe.

*

Green is for the way she scoured fields

for the rare four-leaf clovers to usher in

luck and fortune of all spades, all the better

to cast a sheen of hope over her heavy heart.

*

Blue is for the way she fell in love

with ocean waves against the shore,