Sharpened Nails

the sharpened nails
that scrape me from across the ocean
are colored not with vanity
but painted and polished in search of true devotion

to avert her gaze
from the darkened haze
of days that came and went as blades

though knives leave no goodbyes besides their cuts
her claws serve not for leaving scars behind
instead she has them painted so they remind
that life can be lovely as her slender hands