nature's paintbrush

  
my sadness washes over me in shades of blue
the sapphire of pain  
an aquamarine of grief  
and the sea blue of melancholy  
   
I dip my paintbrush in the waters  
that make up my soul's ocean  
and I create flowery hillsides    
that go on for miles  
   
with hidden smiles,  
they know they're here to decorate sorrow  
some of the deepest shades    
of red and yellow grow here  
   
they are called into being  
to cheer me with their upturned faces  
searching for a brighter tomorrow  
eyes always to the skies  
the blues there mellow  
not like the soul they're shading  
   
they hide me in their garden of understanding  
where ancient trees guard my heart  
they are the seer of visions  
and know my days in the sun are coming  
   
I tell my secrets to these denizens    
they whisper to each other within quiet rustlings    
but never utter a word to any mortal
my thoughts are safe with them  
   
like mothers, they dote on me  
shading me from the harsh sun of self-reproach    
they give me a place to sleep  
snug in their branches  
   
safe from the thought demons  
that patrol the night  
no darkness dare enter their domain
this is a sacred place  
   
the blues of my soul  
create beautiful landscapes  
one could get lost here in its majesty  
   
wildflower wisdom  
teaches my heart to sing  
a new song every day    
   
before the blues take it all  
coloring the greens, reds, and yellows  
the murky shade of brown  
of self-doubt