Cardinal

MASKS OF CARDINAL FEATHERS

                                                                             Drape
                                                       Me in
                 Crimson rOse petals,
                                                          garnets,
                                                                          coral,
                                                Rubies,
                     and feed me
                                              dragon's Blood,
                                                                                     cherries,
                                                              straWberries,
                                         plums,
        salmon,
                              meRlot,
                                                      then make me
                                                                                        glow,
                                                             flush,
                                   blush,
                                                                             BlooM
                                              till I'm 
                                                         Rubeous,
                                         carnLian,
                                                     verMilioN,
          as ScarLet hummingbirds
                                                                    SOAR from our
                                                                                                          Mad
                                                         voRacious
                                                                                          heartS.

Thank you to the editor of Absinthe Revival for first publishing this poem.