Sometimes, I lay awake and wonder
What could have been?
It was full of fun and joy,
But life now is a shattered rainbow.

Red for ruddy hair, rosy lips
Cherry Life-Savers and pomegranate pips.
Old ruby crayons that fell in the mud
And, of course, crimson blood.

Orange for ginger cats and a fruit peel
A carrot-colored sticker stuck on a bike wheel.
An auburn teddy-bear to me you gave
And pale little flowers in a grave.

Yellow for a golden coin, a brilliant sun
A gold-plated flute that was very fun.
A bright color you used to paint your feet
And the music of a requiem on a faded sheet.

Green for a grassy clover and emerald ring
A mold-colored sweater you called 'The Thing.'
A sea-weed hued frog that likes to leap
And the dark grass growing above where you forever sleep.

Blue for the clear sea and azure dawn
Blueberry Kool-Aid on the lawn.
A cerulean fish named 'Timothy'
And icy eyes that will nevermore see.

Indigo for hair ribbons and braces on a cheeky face
A little bluebird that fluttered with grace.
The hair on your little doll Tess
And the delicate lace on an old funeral dress.

Violet for purple mascara, and a mauve blouse
A pesky neighbor you called a 'louse.'
A lilac drawing of a fay
And the hue of the sky on a burial day.

And so at night I've wondered
I've pondered it very long,
Though it may be broken,
At least a shattered rainbow still has color.