Purple Thyme: A Pantoum Poem

Photo by Valeriia Miller from Pexels

Photo by Valeriia Miller from Pexels

Her hand is cold and wet from holding his drink for so long.

The smell of rum and Coke normally bothers her but the light watering into the room distracts her.

She wants to say something to him about how pretty the purple thyme grows this time of year.

She reads his face carefully as he scrunches up his nose, struggling to knot his black tie.

The smell of rum and Coke normally bothers her but the light watering into the room distracts her.

She knows for certain not to mention the flowers; it would only lead to an argument.

She reads his face carefully as he scrunches up his nose, struggling to knot his black tie.

He always tells her not to wear purple around him; it’s a colour of death in his family.

She knows for certain not to mention the flowers; it would only lead to an argument.

It’s her favourite colour; it’s also her only salvation from his controlling ways.

He always tells her not to wear purple around him; it’s a colour of death in his family.

She read in an article that various hues, from lilac to plum, give off an aura of calm.

It’s her favourite colour; it’s also her only salvation from his controlling ways.

In secret, she wears a shade of purple or a shade close enough to it, to rebel against him.

She read in an article that various hues, from lilac to plum, give off an aura of calm.

She wears a bra with little polka dots of it here and there, a charm bracelet with a tiny heart of amethyst.

He turns to her and tells her “that’s a nice dress, you look good in red” and leaves the room.

She puts one leg up at a time on the dresser, painting her toenails like some sort of military tactic.

The near empty nail polish bottle hidden in the back of the drawer is like her soothing friend.

She admires the purple sheen on her toes, quickly pulls dark stockings over her legs and joins him outside.

She puts one leg up at a time on the dresser, painting her toenails like some sort of military tactic.

She wants to say something to him about how pretty the purple thyme grow this time of year.

She admires the purple sheen on her toes, quickly pulls dark stockings over her legs and joins him outside.

Her hand is cold and wet from holding his drink for so long.

Amelia Badri

Amelia Badri is a Guyanese-American poet, teacher, and mother from Miami.

pronouns: she/her(s)

Previous
Previous

GET IN YUH SECTION

Next
Next

Tout Pour Plaire