Shades of Gray

Gazing, endlessly gazing into a sea of black and white
Colors erased, washed away
The last droplets linger over the edge, mocking, teasing
Red to pink to the blank canvas
Sea to sky to the foggy nothingness before a storm
Empty
Void of colors, void of life, left with a simple being
It's easy to live this way, without colors
No bias is shown to one, no preference given to another
You can't love a shade of gray without mistaking it for another
They're all the same, in the end
One listless note after another, as if taking the surprise away, and ending just the way he started
But, even then, you're left wondering what makes these shades of gray so special
that your color is a black washcloth, thrown away months of abusive over usage
Or an old blanket that's lost it's sentimental value
Or a heart
broken and broken open again. Until nothing but the pieces remain
Seams torn and resown, the stitching coarse and worn
Gray. Marbled, crackled, shattered
Shades of gray