Red is the colour that reminds I am alive,
That my heart beats against my will,
That despite this numbness and darkness and stillness-
I am not dead.

Red is the colour that reminds me of valentines,
That screams love and passion and forever,
That despite whispering lies and hate and short memories-
I am loved.

Red is the colour that reminds me of anger,
That defens and blinds me,
That despite building up and staying and makeing a home-
I am calm.

Red is the colour that means STOP.
It tells me to STOP pretending,
To STOP being calm,
It tells me to STOP being what I am not.

Red is the colour that means many things.
Red is dangerous.
Hateful.
Angry.
Loving.

Ties that bind
They do unwind
And there may never be an answer
It eats at us like cancer
It rots the brain
That inturn fills it up with pain
It hollows the heart
Because that's where it starts
It defens us to the truth
They did it to us in our youth
It's all been swept away Into the great abyss
And now it just grows on us like a cyst
Untill we're released
No relief

Ties that bind
They do unwind
And there may never be an answer
It eats at us like cancer
It rots the brain
That inturn fills it up with pain
It hollows the heart
Because that's where it starts
It defens us to the truth
They did it to us in our youth
It's all been swept away Into the great abyss
And now it just grows on us like a cyst
Untill we're released
No relief

©Pauline Russell