Stained

They are orange

bright, strong, successful

but fastened to a culture of deceit.

I much rather be a pellucid pallet

that captivates people in one glance

the way a mountain

reflects off the waters.

Yet if I step too close

I will become orange

I want to be anything

that anything can be,

without turning into someone

I’m not.

I want to be clear

not deceitful fools gold.

To be simple

and not craving attention

the way a child would.

I want to be vast

in all my qualities,

not confined to the few aspects

that orange values.

So I step away.