color wheel connotations    

my art teacher ever the whimsic
says that colors are just complex emotions
running her golden brown fingers along the edge of the color wheel
she says that colors convey emotions
like every good taylor swift lyric
depending on context, colors can change
red by itself 
is angry 
but red 
tinted with yellow 
and drizzled with passion fruit orange 
is a glowing sunset smile
my art teacher says that 
depending on context, colors can change 
like how gold on purple
is europe in the middle ages
but gold on silver
is san francisco circa 1949
like how black and yellow 
is a bop
but black and blue 
is a bruise 
maybe like how 
black on white 
is classy 
but black on black is ghetto
depending on colors, context may change 
like how 
gun on white 
is a patriot
but gun on color
is a terrorist
like how 
crime on white 
is mental illness
but blood shed on color
is still terrorist
like how bilingual on white
is sophisticated
but bilingual on color 
is “learn how to speak english”
depending on colors context will change 
on the color wheel 
any word can be twisted
at the flick of a tongue 

Watermelon Poem: How I Imagine Misogynists Were Taught to Pick Fruit

this is how you choose a watermelon

step 1: hand walk your standards to the nearest grocery store

step 2: grab a shopping cart. even if you aren’t planning on buying much. The grocery list of societal standards is too heavy a thing for you to carry with your bare hands

step 3: find your way down the produce aisle. let your eyes lead you to the watermelon bin

step 4: marvel at the wide variety of selections just waiting for you to choose from. relish the feeling of the power underneath your finger pads. control. remember, you are entitled to a full bargain. 

step 5: the optimal watermelon should not be too watery, too dry, too heavy, or too light. watermelon bmi is complicated to get into, but you alone are qualified to determine the worth of the watermelon. 

step 6: discard the underweight and overweight, now only paying attention to the striated perfectly rounded beauties. scrutinize the stripes of the remaining watermelon. stripes the wider the better. stripes flashier the better. choose the brightest, the most colorful. because remember, you are entitled to a trophy bargain. 

step 7: slap the fruit to check for signs of resistance, i mean water buoyancy ratio. round your hands against the rind of the watermelon. but discard at any sound other than hollow submission. because remember you are entitled to an obedient bargain.

step 8: purchase the perfect watermelon. Remember, you are entitled to a perfect bargain.

step 9: at home, the watermelon should be quiet, transparent. always ready to comply with whatever knife you may use to pierce her rind. always ready for your hands to flesh out the sweet parts of herself that she has kept hidden for so long. always ready for you to savor her sweet, subtle, obedience, because remember, you are entitled to the bargain.