redbloodbluedress

Blue.
is the colour of
the blood
running through the veins
on the inside of my elbow.
Mrs. Burke says that
blue blood
is the blood which
has never been touched
by the heart
while red blood has known
that feeling,
so red
is the opposite of blue,
she says.

Blue.
is the colour of
the balldress
that hangs in the wardrobe
of our spare room.
It cost too much,
that dress.
I don’t have a date yet,
and I suppose that makes me feel
red.
But red’s the colour of love,
isn’t it?
Red’s a colour
that has been touched
by the heart.

Red.
is the colour of love,
and the opposite of love
is surely hate.
Hate is not,
I am certain,
blue.
But then,
I’ve been told
that the opposite of love
is not hate,
but indifference.
And indifference is definitely
blue-
cold and unfeeling and eerie.

So perhaps
they are right.
Perhaps blue is the opposite of red
and indifference is the opposite of love.

But I’m not so sure.
I still feel
like the opposite
of love
is hate.
Red. Red.