red

my vulva bleeds from the penetration

.

they stay in anyway

.

my gums bleed from the toothbrush

.

I clean anyway

.

my skin bleeds from the popping

.

I pick anyway

.

the little girl’s knees pour out from the bicycle fall

.

she learns to ride anyway

.

the burger oozes red juices , we eat it at the mid point because it is softest this way

.

the bug gushes from the kid stomping

.

the kid stomps anyway

.

because the mind is powerful

.

the mind tells us to keep going, even when we shouldn’t

.

red doesn’t stop us, unless at a light

.

for most of us , a neon color that burns our eyes

.

that stops us in our tracks

.

so, should I insert a red laser beam inside of me?

.

a red taser gun into my canal to make their stroke softer, to caution them to treat me with care?

.

do I inject my gums with silicone to lessen the impact of the bristles?

.

or do I just stop being depressed so I can brush more?

.

do I stop eating meat?

.

do I listen to vegans more?

.

maybe the knots in my stomach say yes to this question , but I eat anyway

.

do I become a kid again in my dreams, just to tell the other little kids I think they might become serial killers or rapists based on the enjoyment they get from murdering honey bees and seeing the puddle?

.

do I? or can I? I cannot

unless I really try

.

do I continue to stop at the stop light , or run them and risk the ticket and tell the officer red freaks me out and gives me panic attacks and I couldn't bear to look at it any longer so I floored it and hoped for the best?

.

red, blood, bright, is supposed to make us pause

.

make us think

.

make us scared

.

but it keeps us going

.

the risk keeps us moving .