Poetry Friday : February 10, 2017.
The other day, my four-year-old granddaughter gave me an invitation: “Color with me, Gramma.” Her sweet invitation, her enjoyment of the art of coloring, her love for new crayon boxes with no less than 24 colors — it all set me to thinking about color this week.
Any Color but Gray
We are having our share
of gray winter
days calling for rain
or maybe snow.
So, today, I’m thinking
about colors.
I’m thinking of sky colors
as in sunsets, sunrises,
and rainbows.
I’m thinking of tasty colors–
of ripened fruit,
of garden veggies.
I’m thinking of scented colors–
of spring blossoms,
of summer flowers.
I’m thinking of book colors
whose jacket covers are
vying for my eye.
And how about watercolors,
on a paintbrush?
Red?
Yellow?
Blue?
I’m thinking about color,
any color,
excepting gray.
© 2017 Alice Nine
* * * * *
With color on my mind, I share poems by Mattie J. T. Stepanek. Mattie’s words run deep with meaning, as poetry words do. They speak to me especially in this month of February. Like Mattie, I don’t think anyone “Should have their own colors / . . . / Because they are all / A gift to us.” “Then, you will be / A part of the / Harmony and peace / Kaleidoscope.”
The Importance of Colors
My favorite color
Used to be sunset
Because I love
Pink and orange and brown.
Now, I have
A second favorite color–
Rainbow.
A rainbow has all of my
Favorite sunset colors,
And also all the colors
That are in the sunrise
And in all the fish and birds
And in all the people
That God made.
Some of the kids at my school
Say that pink and orange
Are girls’ colors.
But I don’t think so
Because boys like
Sunsets too.
And I know that rainbows
Are for boys and girls,
Because they have
Pink and orange and brown
And gray and purple and blue.
I don’t think
Girls and boys
Should have their own colors.
I think God wants us
To share colors,
And to like them all
Because they are all
A gift to us.
* * * * *
Peace of Color
A good, colorful world
Is the key to
A good, colorful life.
Remember that
Without color,
The world could
be a dull place.
Listen to your
Heartsong
With color in
Your spirit.
Then, you will be
A part of the
Harmony and peace
Kaleidoscope
That reflects
Our changing world.
* * * * *
Mattie started writing poetry when he was three years old. At the age of four and a half, in January 1995, he wrote “The Importance of Colors.” Five years later, in January 2000, he wrote “Peace of Color.” In 2001, he wrote a poem about two colors and called it “For Neil.” Read the story of Neil and Mattie’s friendship HERE.
All three poems are published in Celebrate through Heartsongs, one of several books of poetry by Mattie J.T. Stepanek.
Mattie J.T. Stepanek
(July 1990 – June 2004)
Katie at The Logonauts is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today. Join us there! Thank you,Katie!
If you’d like to know more about Poetry Friday, click HERE for an explanation by Renee LaTulippe.
I’m with you in your desire for any color but grey! Oh, how I long for a blue blue sky!!
We had some blue skies today. Yeah!
I used to share Mattie’s poems with my class, beautifully done, and inspiring to share with peers. Love that you were inspired by your granddaughter’s colors. Have a color-filled weekend, Alice!
Thank you, Linda. Inspiration comes in so many ways.
“book colors
whose jacket covers are
vying for my eye” — sounds promising for a nice weekend! Hope you have a colorful, joyful weekend, Alice 🙂
Thank you, Tabatha, and the may yours be likewise!
I clicked the links and read of Mattie’s short but inspiring life. Thank-you for sharing, and colouring my day.
I’m so glad you did, Kathryn. Thanks for stopping by.
What a lovely invitation to color that inspired such a beautiful poem!
Thank you, Kiesha. So glad you stopped by!
Winter is so very grey here that I long for colour too, any colour but grey!
I love your British spellings, Jane! Here’s wishing you a big splash of color on Feb. 14th.
It’s how we spell here in Canada!
… and I love it!
I like the idea that colors belong to all of us. They should be a way of unifying and harmonizing not dividing.
That’s right, Brenda. I’m focusing on and celebrating what we have in common so we can understand and embrace our diversity.
Love it.
I love all the colors in all these poems. We’ve had plenty of gray skies, so the burst of color is quite welcome.
Thank you, Kay. Here’s to getting a burst of brilliant color with a bit of chocolate brown on Feb 14th.
I love the idea of separating colors into “sky, tasty, and scented colors.” This could be fun idea to play with. You have shared such wonderful color poems today.
Thank you, Leigh Anne. I’m always looking for ways to bridge sensory modes in writing.
Perfect poems for February, and for these trying times. Mattie’s poems really touch the heart; he is such an inspiration to so many. Your own musings express my February longing for bright colors — yes, anything but gray!
Well, with Feb. 14 being this week, we’ll get lots of red and pink and maybe some brown (chocolates) along with hugs and love expressions!
Here’s to living a colorful life! I enjoyed all of these poems… and I even enjoy a gray day from time to time. There’s something so peaceful about it. Thank you!
Thank you, Irene. I love “living a colorful life!”