She Was Born in Shades of Blue

She was born in shades of blue

On a winter morning when ice crackled and the sky dawned violet

And her mother wept when it was over

Because terror and relief were now the same currents

And she had her father’s nose

And wild hair

And a lifetime of mistakes to make

She grew up in shades of green

Of songs and stories and eyes like a stormy morning

And she spoke in riddles

And hid treasures away in little brown boxes

And when she was six she fell out of a tree

Because she wanted to climb to the sky

And feel the cotton candy clouds in her tiny hands

But the memory of black branches slipping away and the white wet smell of a hospital room

Kept her on the ground

She lived in shades of yellow

And spoke in golden amber pleasantries

And said please and thank you and minded her manners as she was supposed to

But inside she was a black hole

A dying star

And sinking

And tired of the expectation

And she almost imploded

And it was thrilling

But fear brought her back

And slowly the world turned beige

And beige was just enough to keep her steady

She was born in shades of purple

On a Tuesday afternoon when ice crackled and the sky was grey

And her mother wept when it was over

Because terror and relief turned her world rose-gold and bright again

And she had her father’s nose

And wild hair

And a lifetime of possibilities in her tiny hands