Inked in Steel (By Cat Matchuk)

Push through this skin
and paint a picture.

Finger painting
with blood.
It was all a young girl knew.

Introduced to a rainbow,
instead of the pain
instead of tears
paint.

Push the sword through
the invisible webs that strangle.
Cut away the clouds of despair.

Scars replaced with an artist’s vision,
replaced with a blade of light.

Tattooed with a sword.

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