peeling off white

 

Don’t be fooled by the colours on my skin.

Don’t you be fooled!

I hide red under rainbows of ink

over white scars

torn by moments of doubt

as to who I am.

 

peeling white off red

like paint off rust

 

red off white

off red off

white off red

 

like it matters

really.

 

Don’t be fooled by the colours on my skin.

Don’t you be fooled!

Things always look one way

seem one way

to hide realities in the soul

from a world that would

hate all I am

if I were otherwise.

 

peeling white off red

like paint off rust

 

my feet hit the red road

with dreams of mountains

drum songs

and starchildren.

 

All that ink hides all that skin.

 

Would it matter if it did?

Would it matter if I was who I am to the world,

where colour matters

when it’s not white.

 

Would it matter?

Would it?

 

R. L. Elke

(c) Aug. 5/17  Prompt 10