She was the noon day sky 

bright 

(fried electric blue hair)

soft

(stomped robin egg shells)

Her face was freedom

Her lips, whispered promises 

striped red white and blue

Her eyes, star spangled

my American dream 

the wicked curl of her lip

her wink

that flash of faded denim blue

melted paint and I just wanted 

to cup my hands in its stream

and drink

her words 

rolled off her tongue onto my lips, 

and I licked 

swallowing the blue, to be blue

I turned and jumped and leaped, falling, stupid for her, into that great expanse the color of eyes. Drank all life from her lips. 

Her liquid ink coated my veins and poured out. Blue and unrestrained and covering me 

(drowning in blue.) 

Eyes closed. Skipping on lakes...Sipping on Sapphires...Slipping in skies 

(and over sentences.) 

Running from the lights. Red white and blue. 

My face was freedom

My lips, whispered promises 

striped red white and blue

My eyes, star spangled

my American dream 

the wicked curl of my lip

my wink

that flash of faded denim blue

I was red white and blue. An American Dream. Now I’m running from the lights and numb. Numb to June-gloom tears pounding on my face. Flying through all the shades of blue until I’m just blue. Being cool until I freeze.

No oxygen. Bloated blue veins through swollen lips. Stones in my stomach. Cold blue skin. 

Ripped. Like her denim eyes. But people aren’t jeans and faded, ripped people are not in style, not designer. 

So cold. Ice blurring the windows to my soul, cataracts encroaching and turning me white.