I Still Remember The First Time I Saw You…
Poem About First Love
Shy
A little hidden
Yet there
if I’d just peeled back the layers
and taken the time to notice your different shades of trauma
Blue
for all of the tears you cried
they provided a calm bed for all of the stones,
glass,
and all other sharp objects that became embedded upon your soul
Red
was for all of the ways you burned
Baptized by experience
Yet continually ablaze sending up smoke signals
for help,
to engulf,
or just because you wanted all to know that you
You still burned
Yellow
is what you used to attempt to blind the world from seeing the flaws
and all of your other lovely marks as you tried to brighten the presence of others
With your own flame
Gray
showing what just is and did not need to be questioned
It was just there
Your background noise
The scars that faded in so well that no one ever knew that they were there
Black
absorbed all that was called pain
grief
and reflected back something that caused the world to think you’d be fine
It was in that moment of undressing you,
I was blinded by the bright consolement of your happy
and the darkness that reminded me of the celebration of your sad
I saw you
and amidst all of the layers,
the colors,
the scars,
and wounds…
you were beautiful
more by SHANTA LEE
photograph by Caleb Morris
