The Rainbow of Who You Are

Red is for the way she wishes her lips were painted,

the better to kiss away the hurt of a lover's wounds,

even though no one ever saw the way her own pain

glazed over her eyes with the weight of tears.

Orange is for the way she craves sunsets

and the deliciousness of autumn breezes,

but winter often comes too soon with a rush

of chilly air that makes her hug herself for warmth.

Yellow is for the way she remembers tulips

that were her mother's favorite flower,

but they were often gone too soon,

wilted before having a chance to breathe.

Green is for the way she scoured fields

for the rare four-leaf clovers to usher in

luck and fortune of all spades, all the better

to cast a sheen of hope over her heavy heart.

Blue is for the way she fell in love

with ocean waves against the shore,

a liquid mirror that ran cool to the touch

but never failed to warm something deep inside.

Indigo is for the way the night sky

offered comfort when sleep evaded her,

and every winking star told a story

to frighten away any building fears.

Violet is for the way she nursed

the inner bruises made by others

who used their words as weapons

far more than they wielded them kindly.

This rainbow of actions and reactions collided

to create a girl who glued herself together,

every heartache by every heartache,

until she could smile and say, "I'll be okay."