"I remember gray"
By Jyothika Vijay
I remember gray,
Everywhere.
Every time.
Everyone says the world is this color.
They forget what makes grey,
That black and white still exist.
I remember silver,
It’s not the same as gray;
Abnegation gray fades away.
Silver shines.
Bright.
Metallic.
But silver erodes into rust;
Silver dullens, turns sullen,
Like my unpolished trophies caked in dust.
Second place;
Not good enough.
I remember graphite,
Smeared across unfinished sketches.
Dull.
Bland.
Unmistakably grey.
Avoided like the plague;
Except for art projects;
Untouched graphite pencils finally pulled out;
Layers smudged with fingers;
Messy hands come out of it;
A masterpiece, yet lacking something.
Turning on the cold water tap.
I let a brief moment pass,
While staring at my fingers shining silver.
Then I wash it away
09