Our Feelings
By John Herlihy

Yellow, green, black and blue,
Our feelings reveal their various hue.

Adrift, I float on a vast sea of love,
Bereft, I witness the flight of a passing dove.

At a loss, I reach out for your hand,
At a cost, I courageously take a stand.

Confused, I cannot take the next step,
Amused, when I may take a misstep.

Saddened, when I feel betrayed,
Maddened, when I feel dismayed.

Floating like a feather, I do not mind,
Hearing, like a person who is blind.

Disappointed, when you declined support,
Anointed, when you offered a kind retort.

Joyous, like a child without a care,
Piteous, like an orphan in despair.

Lustful, when our desires run afoul,
Unforgiving, when revenge begins to howl.

Expectant, if I have dreams to seek,
Reluctant, if I have secrets to keep.

Burdened, when I have suffered defeat,
Determined, when I any success meet.

Peaceful, when I look into your eyes,
Mournful, when I see your demise.

Resented, when I am misunderstood,
Contented, to be alone under a hood.

Our moods and feelings color who we are,
They rudely invade when our door lies ajar.