They Told Us

They Told Us

They told us that things were complicated,

But in the same breath they declared it was all just

Black and White.

They told us that when Reverend King climbed up

To the Lincoln Memorial so many, many years ago

He saw beyond sepia and stark contrast.

The world’s microscopic caliber was replaced with wide focus lens

As a web of color escaped from the mouth of a visionary.

The world is like little drops of liquid food coloring.

The droplets peel out of tiny dropper bottles that look like a prescribed eye drop bottle.

We like to think that those colors are doctor’s orders.

We like to think the colors dive into the most purified cups of filtered water,

So that we can trace the clouds of colored pigment diluting before us,

But in reality, they puncture thick dough and batter and tint play chemistry sets.

They tell us it is all just child's play, and that color, sound, and sense are illusions.

But it is never quite as simple

As what they tell us.