Bright

Standing at the mirror, toothy grin bathed in

Buttery light

Electric lemon swirls paint my portrait in

Loving strokes of gold.

Energetic dark-brown hair, brown eyes warmed

By the attention of potential-soaked,

Uncomplicated youth.

Pristinely penned supplies folded

Into a pineapple-tinted pencil box

Smudged haphazardly with graphite and dust

Until it turned the ugly brownish-gold

Of an overripe banana.

Saffron sand squishes beneath flimsy flip-flops

Hours sweeping by as the afternoon glare

Toasts my legs and shoulders

With streaming strokes of sunlight.

Lemonade tinges my lips with sour stings

Condensation dripping in refreshing rivets

Down skinny, tanned wrists.

Running a hand over lucky golden patterns

That line the long sleeves of

My mother's hanbok

Delicate swans and wisdom-carrying cranes that watch

From the moonlit, silken sea

A treasured canvas of wonder and time

Aureate wings spread and

Captured in forever flight.

Butter-coloured broth with pale pillows of rice

Verdant chives stark in sharp contrast

Honey cakes soft and dry on my tongue as

Half of it crumbles

Down my front.

Beaming, tanned smiles in various shades of gold

A fleeting glance in fond reflection

And always warm with a light that guides

The way back home again.