I have stains on my skin.
Dark and ugly. In sight—
for them to see plainly.

You had stains on your skin—
And they were much darker and uglier.
And maybe they covered you.
And maybe they suffocated you.

But you consisted of more than just those markings.
You felt desperate— And no one reminded,
that skin is only what covers you.

I have stains on my skin.
But they are only stains.
Stains can be scrubbed, and washed.
And they will fade.
And there is starlight underneath.

Your stains are darker than blackness.
And although they are only stains,
Underneath there are bruises.

But bruises fade too-
And they did. Eventually—
They faded.

And beneath them we saw what we knew was there.
What you never believed was there.
Do you believe- even now?
That underneath the stains and bruises—
is starlight?

The stains are gone now.
The bruises are gone now.
You are gone. And now—
Maybe you see the starlight.

10/10/2002

Author's Note: a work in progress

Posted on 10/10/2002
Copyright © 2025 Gabrielle L Gervais