Surface

It began as tension
swirling on the surface
of a soap bubble
a thesaurus of blues
pinks that might make a flamingo green
with envy, purple majesty
the shade of mountains at dusk and thistle at noon
a cascade of yellow like my heaven star
red as a branding iron

I was the skin of a planet
in orbit around your heat
plates shifting, center magma cooling
so quickly I had to wrap myself
in burning oil
when you took your sun to another universe

I learned to carve
runes and scars with fine tipped
words, ever more intricate
a symphony of cuts, incisions that sang
so high that dolphins and bats replied
echolocating is a human skill
you find every nerve
responding if you slice finely enough

I took out thread and needle more fine than flaxen hair
sewing nimbly, looping colors like magnetic solar flares
like a medieval tapestry weaver, patient as a beetle
focused as a lens
when the welts finally heal
and you slide fingertips like reading braille
along the textured surface of each story woven
into my skin

will you remember when I was every color
your eyes ever wanted to drink in?