The Hallowe’en
I came to him, a gypsy
he drew me into the light
and with that smile, said he only saw
Heidi

my black mantilla in lace
draped over all the blonde
(I'd tried in vain
to find a black wig in time)
and sultry shawl swept over
low-bodiced
black and white
floral peasant dress

charcoal eyeliner
dangling purple hoop earrings
all not heavy enough
in his eyes

He, the expert of unwhite
with his brown-black hair
dark hazel eyes
disqualified my olive attempts

dismissed my protests that
all gypsies aren’t dark

and insisted he saw me
fair, in a field on a mountain of wildflowers

blinded by his misinterpretation
we married our colours anyway

10/17/2001