pink ribbon

AUTHOR: Oriane

EDITOR: Kallie E. Sage

CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS: mention of suicide

ARTIST: Ara

hello! how are you?

i hope you’re doing okay.

if not, i can lend you my smile

it’s currently “buy one get one free”!

anyway, are you hungry?

oh, you’ve been starved of love!

i don’t have any left,

but here’s the tiny reserve i kept for myself.

oh no… did i hurt you?

here’s a thread to stitch up your wound.

i pulled it from my heartstrings,

and pricked my finger on my sewing needles.

you like my dress? thank you! i picked ruffles

with billowed sleeves,

and a bouquet of pink roses to match

just so my aesthetics could please your sights.

i only have pink in my closet!

it’s such a wonderful color.

your powerful stares are always satisfied

and you say i’m always so serviable when i wear pink!

am i being too loud?

i thought that would make you proud.

but i can shut up too,

because you said my silence was pretty.

wait! are my heartbeats still too noisy?

i’m not quite sure how to hush those away…

you say all i’m knowledgeable about is flowers, dresses,

lace that i wear, and tying bows in my hair…

i can tie so many knots though, are you proud of me?

those in my stomach; those to seal my corset;

the flimsy string of the apron around my curved hips,

and a pink ribbon I tighten around my quiet, quiet throat.