Standing
in the store with
people grazing
my side, paint
stripes forced into my cheek,
the wall grows taller
and taller by the second.
Colors morphing
into one
giant mess
as I ultimately choose
a puke green,
imagining a pastel yellow.

I cover the crisp brown wall
in two more
new coats making
your room just
that much smaller—
pushing you farther out
of our lives.