Anatomy of a Bruise

A sudden affliction on the surface accompanied by an abrupt pang.

Unbeknownst to us all, a battle commences. Little damaged structures surrender one by one. Red spills, pooling until it cascades. Black takes over—reaching the limit.

Pain lingers, and perhaps some suffering.

A bruise.

The battle culminates; coalescence ending the spill. Little damaged structures mend. Then an uprising blooms—purples, greens, yellows, or browns.

They fade away.

A distant memory.

Every now and then, it happens again. A sudden affliction on the surface accompanied by an abrupt pang.

We look back on our past and shrug it off.

A bruise—nothing more.