A Color I Love

The girl beside the photo's edge

Was smiling in her yellow sleeves

The words they said have faded now

But still I pass that color by

One spring, a secondhand shop mirror

Caught a smile I hadn't seen in years

I brought that little brightness home

Each Sunday left it on a chair

Wearing a color I love

I wonder how far I could go

Across the room to the mirror

Was enough to make me smile

Whenever I slipped my arms inside

That girl felt close enough to touch

With nowhere I was going to

I'd leave it on a little longer

Late summer, draped across your shoulders

The yellow suited you so well

I folded it into a gift bag

And looked away from the empty chair

By fall, those sleeves were in your photos

With grocery bags held in your arms

On ordinary days, in another town

You wore the spring I'd kept indoors

By winter, I could finally tell you

I'd only pretended it wasn't for me

You'd grown to love that coat as well

That weekend, it was mine to borrow

I kept adjusting my reflection

Till shopping bags filled both my hands

Then we were making dinner plans

And I'd forgotten what I wore

Wearing a color I love

I'm going for a walk with you

A little stain upon the sleeve

A breath of spring comes drifting through

Your coat is red and mine is yellow

I open up the photo on my phone

This time I leave myself in view

And keep this little day with you