purple.

purple:

woven in silk attire for kings and queens

jeweled in crowns

but underneath, purple is for what is forgotten

and what is hidden.

the purple of stringy blankets on an unmade bed,

the lavender hue that falls on battered flesh

faded amethyst bruises, indigo veins

suffering,

like periwinkle buds of midwestern trees in early spring

a frost crystallizes them in lilac

they wilt little by little,

then crumble altogether

storms drown the echoes of his fists on my body

violet violence that pangs deep —

where the bruises don’t reach.

pain,

the rubber ball rattling in your stomach,

my muscles clench as he slams the front door

please don’t come in here

my fists tense until my fingers tint mauve.

crimson blood mixes with turquoise water —

a dark, desperate purple.

then, temporary relief.

magenta blood flows like rainwater,

sharp contrast with the ashen tiles,

my eyes droop shut, i succumb to rest.

light flashes behind my eyelids

yellow. orange. red. blue.

purple. black.