I shall wear Grey today
Ekaterine's life in shades of grey

by Kirsten Houseknecht


This was originally posted to the lois-bujold mailing list in February 2001.


I shall wear grey today,
mouse grey, soft with a touch of tan,
so touchable, so quiet, so very understated...
for I am quiet and unnoticed, but I sit and listen, mouse like, at the edge
of your conversation,
gathering up the fallen bits of affection,desperate for any crumb....
I shall wear grey today,
steel grey, strong, and practical,
so reserved, so certain, a color that shows no stain,
For today I must be steel, seeing the shades between black and white, but
unmoved by all but necessity. A mother's color; grey the color of a blade.
I shall wear grey today,
charcoal grey, near cousin to black,
heavy and dark, like the strokes of charcoal on paper,
heavy with consequence, my colors speak of mourning, not quite so harsh as
black alone would be. An offering of charcoal for a funeral pyre.
I shall wear grey today,
smoke grey, just a touch too pale for ash,
changeable and mysterious, like smoke...
for I will drift through lives today, being seen by many and unknown still,
The color of twilight, too dark for joy, too light to be called mourning...
I shall wear grey today,
silver grey, elegant in silk,
a gentlewoman's gown, a reflection in a distant mirror,
for I will dance at the ball, a subtle grey amid the crass boldness of red
and blue, a grey that speaks of beauty and elegance in simplicity and
reserve...
I shall wear grey today,
palest ash, a touch of not quite white,
the ash girl marrying her prince at last,
a fairy tale wedding won through the briars, the ash, the curses of ancient
foes, and death itself, for fairy tales were hard reading once upon a
time....
I shall wear grey today.


© 2001 by Kirsten Houseknecht (kirsten@fabricdragon.com)

Current version by Michael Bernardi, mike@dendarii.co.uk


left arrow up arrow right arrow


All comments or queries about this Web page to: webmaster@dendarii.co.uk

Last updated: November 15th 2002