Bruise - Christian WArd

The bruise cannot be coaxed
from the knee. Wait for its starling
colours to fade. Do not attract
or let it sting. Never worry

about its song – it is mute.
There are no gardens to walk
through with this bruise,
no waiting for it to suddenly fly.

The bruise cannot be coaxed
from the knee. Wait until
it dissipates like paint in clear
water. Look at the leftover specks –

see how they congregate
in the church of silence you made.

Originally published by FEED Lit Mag 2021

Christian Ward is a UK-based writer who has recently appeared in the Rappahannock Review, South Florida Poetry Journal, The Dewdrop, Double Speak, Wild Greens, Mad Swirl, Dipity Literary Magazine, Impspired, and Streetcake Magazine.