Red
Chipped nail polish,
The only remnants of the forgotten dreams of royalty,
Now captive in the shattered mirror pieces,
Scattered across the floor.
Red
Like the letters on the eviction sign
That determined this fate.
Skin
Weathered and soiled and exposed to reveal
Slipping morals and desperate pleas,
Imposing an age far beyond her years
Skin
Meant to be caressed and admired, lotioned and pampered
Yet left bare to gather more wounds.
Tattered lace
A trace of feigned glamour and haphazard lipstick
Tell more than she can say.
Tell a story of mother’s dreams crushed, beauty distorted, fatal mistakes, ambitions violated, lies believed, realities realized and ideals disregarded.
She tells a story she is not capable of speaking,
Her voice dismissed to whatever might fit on a cardboard sign.
