Three days into my stay,
you are given the ward bed
next to mine. We share dreams
and paint our fingernails
a bright Cha-Ching Cherry
for its promise of tomorrows.
Each week, your mom
brings us a new color:
Lavendurable,
The Power of Pink,
No Room for the Blues,
Can’t Be Beet!
Today, she hands me
Lights of Emerald City.
But you must have asked her
for a separate color,
because you paint yours
When Monkeys Fly.
A month later, both beds are empty.
Today, to your funeral,
I will wear Mermaid’s Tears.
My mother says it’s gaudy.
But you and yours
will love it.
Mary Kipps writes poetry for all age groups, in traditional forms as well as in free verse. Her work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies across the U.S. and abroad since 2005. She is also the author of three Kindle eBooks of paranormal satire: “All in Vein”, “A Sucker for Heels”, and “Bitten: A Practical Guide to Dating a Vampire.”