Not everyone 
Loves polka dots – 

Some enjoy wrapping
Their thoughts in a 
Kaleidoscope of
Vibrant shades

And there are others who
Greet the sacred silence
Of each new dawn 
In stripes and solid
Pajama tops

Sipping their steaming
Lattes from maroon mugs

So I have no right to tell 
You either
What’s the prettiest 
On a July Sunday 
Afternoon
In polka dots

The scorching rays 
Of the sun burn 
My face the same 
Way they tan the 
One in herringbone 

Perhaps we have
Lost our common 
Sense of the world  

And our thoughts – 
Like a babbling
Creek – inundate 
Our veins 

Where is a straw hat
To protect our 
Smiles from 
Burning rays

Shelter the stripes
The buffalo plaid
The mauve

The shades of purple
And the turquoise blue
The lighthearted
Joy of neon green

Shield all our shades
And patterns 
From fading 

Not just the 
Chevron, the peach,
The tartan or
The indigo