The Lament of Viridian by Ellaurah Ashby
The sea foam green of his gentle eyes glisten in afternoon spring light
as promises of a better life
drip from his soft lips onto mine
The muted green of a nylon cotton blend conforms to a naive frame
repetitive chants fill the cognizance of a sincere mind
and remaining pieces of individuality
fade into dusk summer morning
The mint green of my cold earthy drink
shared elsewhere between found friends
whisper soft nothings of youth
that can only be heard in the warm autumn sun
The evergreen of greed pulls at my heart with a home wrapped in a glittering bow
a gift never wanted and yet purchased with the price
of something called love
The pale green of dead grass that spring prays back to life brushes against bare feet
as terminal words that this love was never worth the price
slips from soft lips
The vibrant green of eyeshadow is pressed into tear soaked skin
heat of a summer evening
pleading
to be spent with those closest to a fragile frame
The neon green of a computer screen shows a racing heart struggling to walk
through a long autumn night that is far too cold
threatening a marriage doomed from the start
The muted green of his vomit covers the shower floor as darkened eyes pour hatred
and harsh lips spew malice
only to leave two broken bodies
frozen
in the snowy blizzard of a love that never was
The faded green of a springtime fog
envelops the soul as she moves through the memories of an uncanny home
the stagnant air threatens to suffocate her
The haunted green of blurred eyes
fade in
and out
of focus
while a blistering summer day forces tears to hide from those closest to a hollowed shell
The lime green of a text message delivered to a friend who never intended to respond
sending the only remnants of my hope
plummeting through the chilled harvest air
The muted green of a nylon cotton blend holds a shivering body together
falling apart for years
begging to be loosened from promises that were never fulfilled
The sage green of a spring I never thought would come
nurtures flowers that were laid to rest
at the foot of a grave for the fragile frame
of a girl I once was
The glowing blush pink of a brand new life is taken with slow breaths and cautious steps,
but no longer fears the vibrancy of green
This poem was selected as the “Active Duty” Winner of SITREP’s Fall 2026 Poetry Contest!
