Poetry by Natalie Caulwell: creepers pt. 3
creepers pt. 3
You’re sure they will come,
They always do,
But this time you’re prepared.
They always do,
But this time you’re prepared.
You placed lavender in your hair and violets under your eyes to ward them away; you hold whisky-amber yellow in your mouth.
The shades bleed like watercolours and match your bruises,
You can pinpoint the spot your skin was pierced and it brings you blood-orange joy,
You revel in the ache.
You can pinpoint the spot your skin was pierced and it brings you blood-orange joy,
You revel in the ache.
The soppy poppy colour sentiment that stirred your tongue is now a pink blush on your ego,
full of laughter, and friendship, and lust – a forbidden touch.
full of laughter, and friendship, and lust – a forbidden touch.
You found another map to Neverland in the fog of emerald between you;
You’re sure thats where Neverland is, between your sobriety and the dimples in their cheeks when they smile.
You’re sure thats where Neverland is, between your sobriety and the dimples in their cheeks when they smile.
The cynicism that is usually throbbing like cyan seas is nowhere to be felt,
so you peel the petals from your skin and let them fall;
you pull out the dregs of tangerine but chew on the pip of warmth.
so you peel the petals from your skin and let them fall;
you pull out the dregs of tangerine but chew on the pip of warmth.
This time they do not come,
so you can dismiss your fear with the fog of the vogues you smoke,
and bask in the orchid-blotch relief.
so you can dismiss your fear with the fog of the vogues you smoke,
and bask in the orchid-blotch relief.
Author Notes
The Creepers is a small collection of poems birthed from the aftermath of anxiety after a night out. I went on a date with a musician, and I told them how I often felt after a night out and they called them the creepers. I started constructing them like spells, detailing methods of healing with pretty imagery, the potential emotions that might flow from this catharsis and how to untangle them. I recently read Jasmine Gardosi’s book of poems called “Hurtz” and I was both intrigued and moved by the concept of emotions being assigned a colour. Creepers, pt.3 is greatly influenced by her work, I wanted the emotions I felt to be a multitude of colours across a page.
