On Fire

Derek Walcott once said,
"a culture based on joy is bound to be shallow"
And how can I convince you that all my uncomfortable emotions
Fight for depth, most of all.
Sobbing into a red pillow,
Joining you in the blue bathroom,
Arguing on a dark hostel cot
I want to feel my person,
Not like a shadow in the snow
Cut by razor wire and gray bureaucracy,
But like a pulsing open wound
Red, red, red
And anxious orange
And obsessive yellow
On fire, on fire.