Mother's Rainbow
sky grey drops
flowing down the sidewalk
to brown clay water puddle
creating ever-moving rips
in the air I see, looking through
these liquid prisms
following the wind,
their one-dimensional dance – ever
down
brilliant purple
with my eyes closed, vividly
through my eyelids this color
hiding from the bees
swarming around the slide, a child
afraid, trying to hide
from that second when the bell rings
and I need to get in school
ink
suffocating black, pressing inward
no lights were left on; my dad had closed
the door and the house was dark;
my mother in the hospital, possibly
for the last time – “Six months.” Doctor’s
pronouncement covered me, silently
because the one thing I can’t do
is live for the future
bright screaming yellow
on my bike, my only form of transportation
that’s solely mine – driving is a trial
to be endured only when one must
and besides, one must go slower
to see all the world’s colors
White pinpricks
punched through the black rubber sheet
covering this science project universe ‘till God gets back
staring as all that has inspired mankind
and feeling nothing but desolate
fulfillment
fire pixie
orange glowing blessing light
out over a solemn night lake
formed like an angel keeping me entranced
perhaps it was just the bonfire against my glasses
but it flew, fluttered, glided, burned
itself away – all my friends saw an angel in the bonfire
but I know I saw, dyed in light
an angel in the shadows
prisms breaking light
into thousands – millions – myriad shades
you’re pointing each of them out to me
the way they sprawl across ceiling and walls
as I sit there, watching – you
slowly breathing, living, dying, changing
it’s hard for me to believe death
could come to anyone that breathes
even worse to imagine staring
at your rainbows without you
cobalt blue
collections of glass around our house:
jars, panes, curves, solid ocean
your favorite color, deep dark sky
color of your eyes, mother – beautiful
gesture of the world in dawn’s approach.
But it seems we may not have the time
to show each other any more colors.
Mother.
The day will come, they say
when I’ll be unable to speak
with you. I’ll remember the colors,
however, and when we meet
beyond this world
We’ll share every detail
as the stars slip past us
golden arrayed;
like bees,
like ever dancing suspended rain –
oceans of dawn,
rainbows of movement
and angels in
shadow and fire.
