tattoo this on my body,
make the litany permanent:
i am sad today, and i am depressed. to get out of bed is a chore. i can't do what is asked of me, despite the voices that cheer me on.

scrub this off my body,
until my skin is a sensitive red:
i am depressed today, and i am sad. the rain was too heavy and some of it fell into my head. there is an ocean inside of me whose waves never stop roaring. the noise is unbearable.

paint this on my body,
a canvas of life:
i am alive today, and i am living. and the sun still shines and my heart still beats. a world of pain meets a world of color, and i realize the red in war can also mean the red in love.

imprint this on my body,
a reminder that says:
i can always depend on poetry
to make sense out of what can't.