inside im all this kaleidoscope of colors
inside theres an algae-bloom ocean, rolling every few seconds, red and green waves, against my gut
inside there’s all these many-toned chords, all these different key signatures,
multiple conductors, different times, conflicting meter and rhyme
but outside,
the sky is gray
just cloud after cloud after cloud
theres a calming chill
and then theres the breeze dancing with the leaves
and then theres my feet on the ground
and i can feel the wood press back up as sure as i press down
and i take a deep breath
mix a lil gray, a lil leaf, a lil wood in with the waves
and, after a minute,
the conductors lower their batons
the algae returns to its rest
and my ocean lies calm as the caribbean shore
and, after a minute,
my soft, clenched heart,
it's all ok