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.)