my nails scratch the surface of the sun

digging to find a nest within

somewhere to hide from

the biting breeze that my lips kiss

until they are frozen blue

but i can’t tell whether

that chill is emanating from the clouds

or from me

so i peel myself back

remove all my layers

searching for the raw

the undefined, the genuine

me beneath my own skin

in order to attempt to grasp

the colors of my breath

the incalescence of my words

the petals in my bloodstream

and my need to

tear at the seams of everything