It’s Earth Day.
So much to celebrate and so much to grieve.
Today’s prompt — indigo — this deep and simple color — is a good reminder of the former.
Earth’s gifts of beauty and usefulness are overwhelming, this color among them.
I’m grateful.
Indigo
Indigofera:
Blue is boiled, transferred, dried
Deepened on repeat
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“Why is the sky blue?” is one of the world’s most common questions.
The answer is that sunlight is actually made up of all the colors in the rainbow, but when it hits the Earth’s atmosphere, the light scatters. Blue light, with it’s short, small waves, scatters the most (attention-grabber that it is) so that’s what we see.
And next in our list of common questions: “Why is the ocean blue?”
The answer is that water absorbs the colors with longer wavelengths first. So the blue (again! show off!) is the color we see.
Y’all probably already knew all that, and I did too, but for some reason it’s one of those things I need a regular refresher on. The details escape me. So here they are again, scattered waves and all.
Blue
Waves of blue scatter
overwhelm the elements
till it’s all we see
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It’s funny how being green to something, being new, is both fresh and exciting and full of possibility, but also unschooled and innocent and even a little foolish. It’s funny, isn’t it?
Green
Are you new to this?
I ask each leaf, bud, new shoot,
each naive idea
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Spring in the south is so, so pretty —
so green and so alive and sometimes, that’s the problem.
Today is the third day of color prompts!
We’ve arrived at yellow.
Yellow
This sun-colored scene
pollen like powdered tempera
a snow globe gone bad
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Orange
I wring out each rind
just looking for vital signs —
juice, pulp, warmth and light.
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Hello! Welcome to a week of ROY G. BIV.
The next seven haiku will be prompted by the colors of the rainbow.
Let’s start with red, yes?
Red
Cherry, rose, apple
wine, ruby, scarlet, candy:
Danger! Passion! Blush…
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Saturday is named for Saturn, which means my first prompt (planets) meets my second prompt (days of the week) in a most tidy and delightful way. I love when that happens.
Saturday
On this Saturn’s day
we run rings around ourselves
All the planets laugh
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A note: This wraps the days of the week prompt and tomorrow I’ll move onto the colors of the rainbow, starting with red. Join me?
Friday. Good Friday, in fact.
And the beginning of Passover, too.
The end of a work week.
The promise of some space, a deep breath, freedom, light, new life.
I luckily, spontaneously, and at the very last minute ended up at an rather remarkable Black women’s interactive theater-dance performance piece tonight and honestly, it said all of that. And then some.
Friday
Let’s define this day:
end and possibility,
permission to dance.
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Good old Thor, the Norse god of thunder — but also of strength and protection — making me think, of course, of dogs who thunder down the hall with brute force love and a singular intention to save us from intruders.
Until, that is, we open the door and let them out. In which case they’re like, “Oh, really? FUN!!!”
Thursday (Thor’s Day)
Four-pawed thunder god
pounds down the hall, out the door,
straight toward the weekend
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I’m always trying not to rush through days, not to hurry them along or wish them gone.
Here’s a Wednesday reminder.
Wednesday
We miss these moments,
rushing to get over you.
Dromedary day.
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