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NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS

  Mixed Poems

  Monica K.K. Lee

  NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS

  Copyright 2015 © Monica K.K. Lee

  FOR MAMA

  Table of Contents

  1: Unwrapped*

  2: Eyes*

  3: Onward*

  4: This Mourning*

  5: And the Music Played*

  6: Another Window*

  7: Beware*

  8: Gloss*

  9: As Seen on TV*

  10: The Dance*

  11: Appeal*

  12: Hush*

  13: Goodbye*

  14: The Race*

  15: Hold My Hand*

  16: Care Package*

  17: Textiles*

  18: Wisdom*

  19: There is Only One*

  20: Skinned*

  21: Push*

  22: Carpe Diem’ing*

  23: Tomorrow*

  24: This Is the Day*

  About the Author

  1

  *Unwrapped*

  so wrapped up in gender splendor

  his and hers

  she and he

  whole societies state

  that the beauty of a woman

  can't belong to a boy

  nor can a man's strength

  belong purely to a girl

  that two "wrongs" can't make a "right"

  but peel back the packaging and

  we are all

  living giving energy

  pure shimmering souls

  belonging to nothing

  and everything

  2

  *Eyes*

  he told me how to read people's eyes

  by looking right in

  he said

  you get a glimpse of their

  true intentions

  you know right away

  when a person's smile

  is really a smile

  or when a laugh

  is merely noise

  coming out of a vacant corridor

  and when they lie

  he warned me

  when they lie

  they look away

  hide behind darkened veils

  so the masks they wear

  won't reveal

  the true ingredients

  of their artificial colors

  won't show

  their wish to harm you

  to break you down

  and make you crawl

  beneath their slithering tongues

  and sharpened talons

  So don't you let them

  he said

  don't you let those people

  have that power over you

  instead read their eyes

  to decide

  whether to topple buildings

  or build bridges

  and hiding places

  together

  and you

  he beamed

  you

  be transparent

  vibrant

  shine so bright

  that you radiate

  everything that you are

  and hope to be

  3

  *Onward*

  its long hand draws out

  turns a tick

  drops downwards

  taking us all with it

  when you die i’ll come visit you

  he once said to me

  love me while i’m here

  i told him

  the hand moves slow

  and deliberate

  pointing to a place

  that is unknown

  the good go to heaven

  she said

  bad people burn in hell

  i replied

  i know

  i know

  so i live a life by a book

  of rules

  penned by shriveled old men

  and me not knowing

  where i will find my soul

  will die

  someday

  alone

  4

  *This mourning*

  oceans of despair

  me on one side

  you on the other

  me fearing for you

  wail

  and fill the sea with sorrow

  you fearing for me

  send portents

  and fill the sea with love

  we are calm

  5

  *And the music played*

  it was out of darkness that it came

  first a warble

  a shrill

  a grotesque shriek

  so angry

  it attracted wretchedness

  evil

  pain

  but then

  there came a time

  when light itself stretched across the shadows of his mind

  and invoked

  music

  6

  *Another window*

  another window

  to peek through

  this one

  more pained

  then the rest

  views that eyes don't want to see

  people restless

  unbroken

  spirited

  the overlords may

  cover the window with

  draped discourse

  poor exposure

  glamorous distractions

  plastic promises

  they can leave it be

  but it won't go away

  it will never go away

  7

  *Beware*

  Beware of smiling faces

  curled lips with

  the deadly eyes

  the dead eyes

  those layers of batting lashes

  the acid brewing toxins beneath

  for beneath the wide grinning mouth

  the friendly words

  the buttery sugar

  are incisors

  poised to demolish

  the entirety of you

  8

  *Gloss*

  show me a magazine cover

  with a woman on it

  and I'll show you a gal

  who sees herself inferior

  someone not good enough as is

  the perfect surgical candidate

  a living talking bank machine

  show me a magazine cover

  with a female on it

  and I'll show you a little girl

  who believes that all ladies

  should mirror dolls

  and doesn't think because thinking isn't important

  when you look a certain way

  show me a magazine cover

  with a healthy image on it

  and I'll show you a world

  without tortured individuals

  trying hard to be someone else's fantasy

  instead loving their lives and

  accepting themselves as they are

  which is truly

  beautiful

  9

  *As seen on TV*

  those commercials ask us

  what’s in your wallet

  who cares

  what's in your wallet

  like that makes a difference no

  I want to know

  what's in your mind

  what's in your soul

  what's is in your heart

  who moves and inspires you

  who makes you better

  what's in your fiber

  what's in your wallet

  huh

  what is your motive

  is what I want to know

  10

  *The dance*

  dancing across thin ice

  predictable steps

  care
ful movement

  toes

  treading

  softly

  while my shadow

  swings a heavy mallet

  with deceptively uniform lips

  11

  *Appeal*

  apparently

  you feel the need to judge me

  trial by fire

  closed jury

  no defense

  your peers

  stand witness

  point your talons

  go ahead

  and laugh

  while my acts

  make a grandstanding mockery

  of the court of your own creation

  12

  *Hush*

  there are no songs inside

  this well is void

  echoes...

  only

  echoes...

  piercing

  through

  husks of silence

  13

  *Goodbye*

  goodbye happy jester

  wobble yourself

  towards

  dream lane

  where clouds gush

  and rainbows drip your name

  my feet are stuck

  in the rocky road

  below

  this is my path

  please don't look back

  just move ahead and

  leave me alone

  14

  *The race*

  while others chose to whiff snowy gardenias

  he ran

  while they chose to laze in dew sprinkled grass

  to skip to play

  to learn in class

  he ran

  and ran

  and ran

  when life zipped by

  amid a blue streaked sky

  and friends asked

  "you're still running-- why?"

  he ran

  he ran

  until time slipped in the heat

  'til he realized he was really beat

  couldn't describe his life as complete

  so he stopped

  that treadmill

  beneath his feet

  and strolled

  waltzed

  wandered

  on the street

  as the cause of his running

  became obsolete

  15

  *Hold my hand*

  hold my hand

  again

  i ask

  i'm scared

  i need help

  i will help

  you say

  and reach out

  we touch fingers

  we are together

  you are here

  16

  *Care package*

  I don't know you

  but I care

  I pray for things to get better

  I ask that you be safe

  that you are warm

  that you have lots to eat

  and drink

  I give what I can

  help any way I can

  I don't ask for anything

  in return

  except that you survive

  I don't know you

  but I care

  17

  *Textiles*

  I wove some fabric for you

  entwined it with dreams

  hope entirety

  worked it with tireless

  hands

  of gold

  love eternal

  knotted the ends with kindness

  promises of truth

  then I filled it

  my love

  yes I filled it

  on the day of your birth

  with the most precious gift

  that was ever mine

  to hold

  18

  *Wisdom*

  oh, to be wise

  to reach

  dust off treasure boxes

  from a happy beating heart

  to live again and always

  without fear

  knowing that time

  is but a measure

  and youthfulness

  is best left

  to the inexperienced

  and the foolish

  19

  *There is only one*

  there is only one you

  this isn't a poem these are words stating reality

  no one else thinks the way you do

  your brain your soul

  no one else talks the way you do

  your mouth your voice

  no one else sees the way you do

  your perspective your vision

  no one else hears the way you do

  your translation your perception

  no one else feels the way you do

  your heart your soul

  no one else looks the way you do

  your face your body

  there is only one

  so bask in the exclusivity

  of you

  .

  20

  *Skinned*

  and they continued to go along their way

  using the crutch of

  political correctness

  to hold them up

  and see them through

  the acts

  of their pompous circus and

  each and every time they stumbled

  over inappropriate tongues

  and thick skins shed

  from a lack of tolerance

  it was considered well and good

  because politically speaking

  they would always be correct

  no matter what the action

  and none would be the wiser

  21

  *Push*

  push gently don’t shove me

  if i fall i might break

  might not seem fragile but

  there’s not much i can take

  22

  *Carpe diem’ing*

  1

  Sunday was ours

  to celebrate

  sloven

  unencumbered

  loose

  we

  the stubble faced man

  our tangle headed clan

  and

  empty faced

  grit legged me

  it was early

  and we were barely even awake

  Sunday was ours

  2

  Spontaneous phone call

  to the question

  he muttered yes

  sure

  come on over

  unpremeditated

  I mouthed

  no

  he said too late

  no food I whined

  the last of our stash

  was then thawed out

  to please the makers of the

  spontaneous phone call

  3

  Sunday was ruined

  tainted with brooms in rooms

  and trash baggery

  the smell of rushed chemicals

  surface sprayed in haste

  work

  actual labor

  even the vacuum’s moaning oh

  why the clan cried

  do we have to work today

  you said we could read

  you said we could play

  but no

  Sunday was ruined

  4

  Its almost time

  quick hurry up

  last of the dishes hidden

  pillows fluffed

  closets stuffed

  clothes thrown over bones

  fresh faces

  fresh hair

  fresh smelling underwear

  smudge on deodorant

  splash that toothpaste

  on a brush do it right now

  now and whip it through

  your mouths because

  it’s almost time

  5

  To the door

 
Hello hi

  our house is yours

  oh this old thing

  and those things too

  oh thank you

  you too

  that’s not true

  it’s so nice to have you

  we’ve missed you so much

  oh, you know all homes

  need a good woman’s touch

  we laugh

  we eat we unwind

  we roar

  ‘til goodbye leads us right back up

  To the door

  6

  Sunday was ours

  23

  *Tomorrow*

  tomorrow is a fresh day

  i’ll do it tomorrow

  brand new way

  brand new me

  i’ll do it tomorrow

  that diet i’ve read about

  do that tomorrow

  that one great workout

  do that tomorrow

  the plans i’ve set aside

  you betcha tomorrow

  the book i want to write

  i’ll start that tomorrow

  phone my family

  my friends yeah

  i’ll do that tomorrow

  get that raise

  do those chores

  i’ll do it tomorrow

  yesterday’s passed

  saying bye to today so

  i’ll do it tomorrow

  tomorrow

  tomorrow

  promises kept

  as long as i wake

  i’ll do it tomorrow

  i’ll do it tomorrow

  another day older

  and wiser i’d say

  tomorrow’s a good day

  i’ll start it tomorrow

  i’ll be smarter

  and better

  i’ll plan out my ways

  tomorrow

  tomorrow

  if i get to it

  tomorrow

  24

  *This is the day*

  This is the day

  I’ve promised

  and all but delivered

  days dripping

  like water

  from a faucet

  time spilling

  and me wasting

  all this precious

  wonderful

  life