“Bruises bloom roses; the blind bird has fled./Ocean quiet bedroom night light turned dim,/the sting of his fist purple on her skin.”
Ocean quiet, bedroom night lights turned dim,
her shadow´s reflection cries out afraid.
The sting of his fist, purple on her skin.
Sorry comes after her cries possess him.
He coos an apology; love mislead.
Ocean quiet, bedroom night lights turned dim.
Home late again. No please! His fragrance gin.
Dinner is ready, but he has been fed.
The sting of his fist, purple on her skin,
she reels. Familiar darkness settles in
dreams: blind bird in flight crashes her head.
Ocean quiet bedroom, night light turned dim.
She wakes but quickly shuts her eyes again,
pretends or rather hopes that she was dead.
The sting of his fist purple on her skin.
She vows to live; sows thorns and wings for spring.
Bruises bloom roses; the blind bird has fled.
Ocean quiet bedroom night light turned dim,
the sting of his fist purple on her skin.
Francoise Nieto-Fong was born in New York City to a Colombian father and a Chinese Jamaican mother. She has lived in different places and speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Italian. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing at Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles.
