On Paper
I gaze on pajamas--
White with blue stripes--
And ponder the red thread
Used in sewing the seam.
As I write,
Gray tarnishes the white,
And the pajamas
Seemingly age.
My pencil
Could have marked
A different color;
If blue, the stripes would fade.
But red would suggest
That the thread had bled,
While white would
Have nothing to say.