With harsh tones
Of watercolor
She paints her life
Punctuated here and there
With sloppy dabs
And loose carefree strokes
Over the stretched canvas of her life.

Against a backdrop
Of pain and fear and hurt
She tells her story
A story that soils the colors
Once pure, fresh and vibrant
But now chapped and peeling
From the discolored canvas of her life.

Once a beautiful picture
Now cracked and fading
As she struggles daily..
A single mom…
Deceived, sad, lonely and hurt
Yearning to add brighter colors
To the fading portrait of her life.

Not long ago
She painted a picture
With soft, soothing hues
Drawn with delicate, soft strokes
Each detail clearly etched
Clearly outlined and highlighted
Upon the canvas of life

But it’s raining now
And the colors on the pictures..
Chapters of her life
Streak down slowly
In crooked lines
As the raindrops wash away
The faded colors of her life.