paint
i am yellow when the first snow falls
it makes my teeth chatter and my breath go white
my tongue swallows blue words that feel like ice
there are slits in my throat
i gurgle blood sometimes
the dark is my forbidden love
i hold my breath after dinner
i clutch a knife when I sleep
i am yellow when i fall in love
i walk on eggshells and seashells and
you touch my face to capture the red that i feel
the dark is my forbidden love
and now the rising sun breaks my heart too
and there is an ache in my bones
a dread that buries itself in my bile
that bullet you carry
holds a target so yellow
i wonder if I should paint myself green
By Sophie Tianfang Li
Biography:
(Sophie Tianfang Li was born in Hong Kong and raised in Beijing, China. She is currently a senior at Lafayette college. She loves poetry, music and tattoos.)