Colors of Strength

I come from beginnings of sun-kissed gold

Summer laughter, bright and luminous

Innocent adventures in the warmth of youth

Gold burns into flame, its red embers scorching my skin

Every word shouted in this home burns

The fire reduces to ash

A numb and isolated gray

Emotions evaporate and gather into clouds

Condenses further and further until the rain gives way

Overwhelming flood of blue

Too much to bear, the ash becomes mud

Thick and all consuming

I grow accustomed

The flood dissipates, leaving dry, sandy dirt

No growth here, no fruit to bare

Just the ivory of dry bones

Then people walk through my desert

They scatter seeds, they hold onto hope

They know most deserts remain barren

Yet they still wait patiently

Until I am strong enough to will the skies to rain again

I let the rain arrive, but this time the blue waters do not flood me

It is just enough for life to flourish

Lush green fills my soil

Golden joy nourishes my growth once again

I bear fruit, I create fields and forests, I am shelter and shade

Because I was strong enough to let it rain