No. 1

He kept her coloring inside the lines

And when her hands shook
He steadied
And when she smudged
He said imperfections can be good

She chose blue so he loved blue
She wanted big strokes so he made big strokes
Then she wanted red and small

He said, You are driving me crazy.
She said, I'm driving me crazy too.

So he held her hand in his and they kept going

Together, they were coloring by number
But she wasn't one to follow a guide

Without him it would just be color
Splashed on a page

And when it was complete
They looked at it
the colors, the strokes, the movement

It was happy and sad
Calm yet wild
Scared but brave

It was beautiful.
So she cried,

He said, let's fill the gallery.

Peppermint tea with 2 sugars

An old woman sits in the coffee shop.
Fingers curled around a tea cup.
Watching the window.

Does she wish she’d traveled more?
Lived abroad?
Learned French just to order a pain au chocolat?

Does she wish she’d written more love letters?
And fewer grocery lists.

Should she have watched more sunsets,
Taken more bubble baths?

Dyed her blond,
Worn more floppy hats,
More red lipstick?

Does she miss being beautiful?

Has she quit a job with flourish?
Been fired and come back stronger?
Smashed fine China to prove a point?

Has she swam naked?
Ran naked?
Danced naked?

Does she believe in soul mates?
Believe in heaven?
Believe in ghosts?

Does she wonder about the future?

Wonder about dying?

Does she miss her parents?

Worry about how she’ll be remembered? Or if?
If anyone will miss her?

Did she really live?



Or is she simply thinking about whether or not to order pie.
Perhaps, blueberry.

7 word story

I don't want to meet your boyfriend.