Colors | A Poem

By Addison R. Vallier

They try to fit my mind in a box

Squeeze me into their perfect mold

My splattered, scattered, messed up mind

Overflowing, like rainbow paint

Bursting, busting 

from the box

Red, my mind is an emotional cataclysm 

A red dwarf star going supernova  

Or a front-line, blood-baked battle 

A red, red war for victory, for sanity 

For freedom of soul 

When they think in black and white

They do not understand

My bright, bright red

So they try to fit my mind in a box

Squeeze me into their perfect mold

My splattered, scattered, messed up mind

Overflowing, like rainbow paint

Bursting, busting 

from the box

Orange, my mind holds joy like a flower

A delicate tulip growing from the soil 

Or a sunny, sandy ocean day 

An orange, orange sun glowing happily

in my free-flying heart 

When they think in black and white

They do not understand

My wild, wild orange 

So they try to fit my mind in a box

Squeeze me into their perfect mold

My splattered, scattered, messed up mind

Overflowing, like rainbow paint

Bursting, busting 

from the box

Yellow, my mind wants to soar to the stars

Follow the north on an endless journey

Or a softly feathered canary 

A yellow, yellow bird doing nothing but singing

No obligations but music and love

When they think in black and white

They do not understand

My spirited, spirited yellow

So they try to fit my mind in a box

Squeeze me into their perfect mold

My splattered, scattered, messed up mind

Overflowing, like rainbow paint

Bursting, busting 

from the box

Green, my mind is an overgrowth 

A tangled, haunted forest of low swaying trees

Or a dark and glittering sea 

A green, green ocean with both tempest and calm

Pitching the ships back and forth, from sorrow to joy

When they think in black and white

They do not understand

My abundant, abundant green

So they try to fit my mind in a box

Squeeze me into their perfect mold

My splattered, scattered, messed up mind

Overflowing, like rainbow paint

Bursting, busting 

from the box

Blue, my mind is my refuge

the quiet place where I seek out peace

Or a crystalline and pale sky

A blue, blue heaven with castles of gold

And open arms that reach out to welcome me home 

When they think in black and white

They do not understand 

How find solace in my mind’s 

Quiet, quiet blue

So they try to fit my mind in a box

Squeeze me into their perfect mold

My splattered, scattered, messed up mind

Overflowing, like rainbow paint

Bursting, busting 

from the box

Violet, my mind is my strength 

The flowing cape of a warrior Queen 

Or a funny feather boa

A violet, violet lipstick tube 

Flaunting my strangeness for all the world to see

When they think in black and white

They do not understand

How one can be

Angry red

Freedom orange

Joyful yellow

Abundant green

Shy blue

and

Flamboyant violet

All at once

And yet, 

I am what I am 

I refuse to put my mind in a box

They won’t squeeze me into their perfect mold

How I love my 

Splattered, scattered, messed up mind

Overflowing, like rainbow paint

Bursting, busting 

from the box