Pain comes in a kaleidoscope of colors, from the cold grey ache of incomprehensible rejection to the bright crimson, saber-like slashes of burgeoning, anguished realization when  I accidentally find my lover in the arms of another man.

There’s a brief, ferocious, yellow and orange, smoky flash of sudden desire to strike back at the hurt as this unacceptable turn of events burns its searing way through an ebony fog of bewilderment.

Lightning flashes of fury erupt in incandescent, silvery shards of rage interspersed with icy green stings of torment; I am simultaneously burning and cold. Fiery thrusts of emerald and gold tortured anger and jealousy pierce my soul in excruciating, painful refusal to accept this sudden new black hole of reality,

But, finally, I walk away filled with a deep maroon ache of reluctant acceptance of the end of what had been a fulfilling, intense, radiant relationship. My fierce, flaming anger is reduced to dull grey ashes at the clear futility of not acknowledging the inevitable.

A thick purple cloak of despair swirls round and drapes itself about me in soft, smothering folds of mauve and charcoal torment – acid tears trickle down to my most secret places, to burn in white hot, platinum flames of despondence.

So many shades of pain…I think I hear Thelonious Monk, softly playing ‘Old Midnight’ again, each bluesy piano note an indigo blade of sorrow rhythmically lancing my throbbing heart like a stalactite of frozen rain.

© T.P. Woodfork 2/9/2009

I was checking my web site statistics and was struck by

one of the search phrases reported in the weekly search

engine optimization report - "What is the color of pain?"

I wonder who was asking, and why?