before you left
blue was my favorite color
blue was the color
of the ocean & his eyes & your favorite cardigan
 
blue was the color
of the wilting hydrangeas in the window box
blue was the color
of the walls of my childhood bedroom
 
before you left
blue was the color
of melting popsicles & sticky fingers
on sweltering summer days
 
now that you’re gone
the color blue
is everything
& nothing
 
sadness
 
the color blue is
nurses’ scrubs & code the color blue is
veins under see-through skin
 
now that you’re gone
the blue that once was hydrangeas
is the color of forget-me-nots
 
three words i whispered like a prayer
held like a promise
blew away like a wish