Color Me

Color me anything Anything at all A vibrant gold wave Or a tinselly silver Christmas red and green Or daffodil yellow It doesn’t matter what As long as you can see it It doesn’t matter what As long as I d i s a p p e a r Slide the brush over pale skin A k i s s of soft nylon A breath of rainbow light And a tickle of s e c r e c y Drip the paint in thick layers Concealing shame Obscuring disappointment And masking j e a l o u s y Now I’m anything and everything I’m the rainbow you can’t reach I’m the pot of gold that’s h i d d e n In a place you’ll never find I’m the flag that waves to all “I’m not what you see inside!” Because inside is hidden too well Between walls of plastered dye In the darkness I can s h i n e Like the glowing of the moon Watching from afar Waiting for the sun But my colors keep me safe My cornflower blue And iridescent purple From my ebony b l a c k To my halo-dipped white. Color me anything Anything at all And once submerged in life’s stains I’ll no longer be t r a n s p a r e n t