Braille

My body is not frail but

if you touch me the wrong way,

I still might break into the shapes

of letters written in braille.

Only sharper.

My body is braille and you

can only read me with your fingertips

but

I really don't like to be touched.

The old cracks in my ribs would spell

words that you'd hate to repeat and

the shadows of bruises look like

Rorschach ink blots

that you can't see anymore but

that's okay because my whole body is a novel.

If I let you touch me long enough to read it,

your fingertips may bleed, you

might give up halfway through because

it shouldn't hurt to read and I'm

told that loving me is already hard enough but

I am a novel written in Braille and by the time

it's over, you'll have callouses to

protect you from all the rest.

Reviews

[Ben]

marriage of past and future, feelings brilliantly portrayed. I like how it comes back, like as well the type of spacing and set up of the works structior, what not

[BlueZan]

Thank you!

[BlueZan]

Thanks for such a review! it was definitely a lot of metaphor, and I'm glad it all comes across. I really appreciate your review!

[Antoñyo]

Not sure if this was intended to be as metaphoric as it possibly indicates, but if so, BRILLIANT...if not, GENIOUS undercover. Wow, I read lines over and over and...well, the words only got "sharper" yet more clear.
This (Master)piece floored me. Easily, one of my personal Top Ten.

Thanks for sharing!!