Watercolor Study, Incarnate by Alison Lubar

Watercolor Study, Incarnate

I. —– PM

when the suburban navy blue becomes
—–—–—–—–matte-black mid-
—–—–—–—–—–—–night chill, streetlight curfew
—–—————stars recede
———-to silver beads

i want to blend these moonscape shades
—–—–with your rosy sun-blush

evergreens frame bedroom windows in
—–—–vermillion gentility, listen to each wet bristle
slip across paper, a textured desert until
—–—–you blush a brushstroke across its width.

—–—–my edges are water-
color– impermeability,
—–—–an illusion– every membrane
—–—–———- blends, every border
—–—–—–——— —– –porous.

II. —– AM

morning’s ephemeral warmth (like the imprint on these
—– —– —– —– flowered sheets for seven minutes after
you leave) moves from the inside-
—– —– out– these frozen dawns thaw with last night’s

—– —– thunderous pulse unmuted
now tempered in indigo dawn and then–

i have never seen this red
—– —– before. I have never seen that
—– —– —– —– satin twilight transmute carnelian.
i have never seen a landscape saturated
—– —– —– —– incarnadine or even the sun rise ombre
—– —– before you set it ablaze with our waking– before you

never was there rainbow
—– —– fire in february– this new palette
—– —– —– —– is sacred, each layer a prayer,
—– —– each lacquer a placard
—– —– —– —– to a prismatic baptism in color,

this morning I smolder, immolate
—– —– my the last canvas, blackens my past
—– —– —– —– in your light.

Alison Lubar is a queer, nonbinary femme of color whose life work (aside from wordsmithing) has evolved into bringing mindfulness practices, and sometimes poetry, to young people. Their debut chapbook, Philosophers Know Nothing About Love, was published by Thirty West (May 2022); you can find out more on Twitter @theoriginalison.