Nothing But A Wallflower

Everyday seems slower than the last.

I feel enclosed and trapped, like an animal

Stuck behind glass at a zoo;

My only purpose is to be poked

And prodded

And stared at.

These people don’t see the real me,

They see the artificial-

What’s on the outside.

I spend my time hung against a wall

And they come up to me,

Looking through me,

But never at me.

They touch me without my permission

Even when the neatly scrolled letters next to me scream:

“Please Do Not Touch the Artwork”.

They interpret my colors as bright and joyful

When it’s anything but.

I’ve lived for centuries

I’ve had masters of art handle me with care

Pouring their blood, sweat, and tears

Into my creation.

And yet,

This is what I’ve been reduced to

Left to rot

In some underfunded museum

In the city.

But somehow, today feels different.

I feel expectant

Almost as if I’m holding my breath

With my hand crossed over my chest.

There are fewer people here tonight,

Practically empty,

Causing me to release an easy breath

But, then I spot her

And I’m left speechless.

Eyes wide and blinding,

Filled with curiosity,

Confidently approach me.

She smells like rose water and jasmine

And there’s this aura that surrounds her

That feels like

I’m breathing fresh, intoxicating air

On the first day of spring.

I don’t know her or what it is about her,

But I allow her to trace her delicate fingers

Over the callous edges of my parchment paper

And I take in the way she examines me.

She tilts her head to the side in deep thought

And I see that she gets it.

The soft pink of her plush lips

Open slightly in an “o” shape

Pressing her hands to me softly, whispering,

“You poor thing,”

Like she understands what I’ve been through.

She’s talking to herself,

But it feels like we’re the only two in the room,

Deep in conversation,

Like two old lovers making up for wasted time.

This girl tells me about the hurt

She sees in my colors,

The melancholy radiating

From my deep purples and royal blues

And my heart stops.

It took her only ten minutes

To bring me back to life.

And as soon as I am ready

To spill my heart to her,

To jump off this godforsaken wall,

She’s gone.

Only the scent of roses and jasmine

Left in her wake.