my white bird flew away this morning taking the windowlatch in her beak like a sprig of olive

my yellow flower died this morning drooping over the vase shedding petals like a may shower

my green hills crumbled this morning taking my window through shades of darkness like the hand of a one-night lover

my brown ivy fled this morning taking with him my white bird my yellow flower my green hills

now I am left with red of passion and blue of pathos neither of which is mine

sunset and the rainbow rises soon

This poem is from Bear Loveday Tyler's book Love Grenade, published by Survivors' Poetry in 2006. Loveday was mentored by Robin Ford. Another of her poems, So This Is Death, was published in the Journal in September 2012.

Chosen by Femi Oyebode.