Red is the color
Of my untamed spirit
Not the opposite of pink, but a part of it–
The heart beating within
*
Red was the color
Of my young flushed cheeks
The same hue for passion, and for shame
*
Red is the color
Of the words I speak
When my mouth can no longer contain the flames
And they taste like freedom
*
Red is the color
Of my monthly bleed:
A bright, vibrant crimson, like something alive
*
Red: the bracelets I wore
When they told me cover up my legs and body
So the boys would grow up to stare at it like something forbidden
(It was)
*
Red is the color
Of the dragon on my hip–
The reminder that I never have to say sorry
For the multitudes I contain
*
Red is the color
Of the scarlet letter
We all wear
Beneath our clothes
For as long as we stay hidden
*
Red is the color
Of the harvest moon
When I stay home, light candles, and put on
A red lace dress
Comments (7)
When I was in seminary, one of our professors explained to us that the only person more shunned than an unwed Jewish mother 2000 years ago would have been the child she bore, & that if the Messiah were to be born today she would be a poor Latina living in a third world country. Ever since then I have found it easier to find the Christ in women, including (if not especially so) among those who eschew Christianity for all its historic misogyny. ( Yes, my friend, I would count you among them.)
You know that I'm a hugeeeee fan of your poems! And you wrote about Red! Ahhhhh! I was sooooo excited! I loveeeeeeeeee Red! I loved this poem so much!
This was so good! Loved the message of it and it had such a great an easy flow to it.
There's a lot of power in these words. Well done, Joelle! I agree with Kayleigh; that third stanza really stands out.
I love this! You captured so much with the focus on one colour.
Your poem beautifully captures the multifaceted nature of red, using it as a metaphor for the complexities of human emotions and the societal expectations we navigate. It's a compelling and thought-provoking piece that encourages reflection on the various meanings and symbolism attached to a single color.
That third stanza ! I loved I so much I had to keep starting the poem over when I read it because my mind just lingered on the words… ❤️ This entire poem felt like such a charge for our pure feminine powerful energy 🙏🕊️🤍