Painting on the Walls of a Prison

Lip smack
blood stain
purple rain paradise
velvet crimson seduction

Smooth skin
clown mask
catch every glance
in a mirror’s reflection

Longing for self-esteem
praying it’s all a dream
to wake from…released
naked, innocent, free

The chains of beauty
drawn on, sometimes smeared
with tears
of longing, of lacking
that no amount of paint
can cover up

The soul is screaming for an escape
but the flesh is itching
for a fresh coat fix
and, for one more night,
on it goes