19. Gray

I like this color
because it is subtle,
and I am not.

18. Rainbow

red was for anger
orange for selfish desire
yellow for sickness and disease
green for deception
blue for all sorrow
purple for foolish pride

indigo for
darkness of night at noon,
a bitter cup drunk
so I could taste the sweetness of salvation.

then violet was for wisdom
sapphire for peace within my soul
emerald for new life
gold for brightness and beauty
amber for brilliant joy
and crimson
for the precious blood
that washed me white as snow.

17. Blood

"I like blood a lot."
"WHAT!?" "Not coming out, silly--
Can't live without it!"

16. Questioning

Why do waves
at the beach
roll, crash, tug
in some strange rhythm?
Why isn’t the moon
blue,
like the rest of the sky?
Why do we like stars
so much?
Do puppies dream?
What’s with
dreams,
anyway?
Why do we climb trees
and try to build
houses in them?
Where did
the dinosaurs all go?
Why is the world
so
completely
obsessed
with beauty?

I wonder.

15. Silence

Hello my little brother
the world's gone gray tonight
as far as I can tell
there's not another soul in sight

and you're so still.

won't you smile again?
i remember it was like a sparkling light
(though i didn't know it then)
but even you've gone gray tonight

and you're so ashen.

i wish you'd talk to me
your mind and mouth reunite

but your silence only seals
my aching heart
for i'm the only life here tonight

and you're so cold.

14. Smile

Across from me,
lips part,
curve upwards at the corners
cheeks are pushed back
lines and tiny dents appear
teeth show the slightest bit
and
a little twinkle appears in the eyes--

Quite
suddenly

I feel warm and fuzzy.

13. Misfortune

There’s really no such thing

you know.

Perhaps if there was such a thing
as fortune
then we could say
that when it is thwarted,
mis-
fortune
comes about.
but what would fortune be?
just what seems good to us?

that’s a bit sad,
if you think about it.

we judge events
based on what seems
beneficial
to us, or what seems
detrimental--
and we call it fortune
and misfortune.

what if misfortune
turns out to be good after all?
then it was fortune all along,
right?

you see,
I’d rather not think that way.
Not to see everything
in the light of what it does for me
Not to take all that comes
as mere chance
that I must follow as best I can
or struggle against with all my might--
I prefer to know that
My Father runs the world,
is completely in control of everything
and always has been,
and since He loves me and makes
all things for my good
(what wonder that He should!)
no matter how it seems to me at the time,

then all is fortune to me,
because all is good for me.

So, mis-
fortune?
There’s really no such thing,
you know.