By Bette Lafferty
Temple Terrace Branch, Tampa, Florida
Growing older has not diminished the joy
I feel when viewing a new box of crayons, or
the paint samples at the hardware store or
stacks of colored paper at Office Depot.
My eyes may be dimming, but
fireworks in all their glory light the fire
within me. The brilliance of Christmas decorations
stirs the child I embrace, stimulating joy
beyond description.
I may not understand the process of refraction that
creates the rainbow, but
the arch of colors dazzles my eye
and excites my spirit,
like lightning bolts riding through the sky
that shower me with the brilliance
of white diamonds, sparkling waterfalls and
ice sculptures
all wrapped together into one.
A crisp North Carolina blue sky
delights my soul while
the skeins of yarn filling the shelves at the craft shop
stimulate my imagination.
I dance to the color of music
that only my mind can see
and thank the glass blowers for their fabulous
colorful creations molded by blazing fire.
Most importantly, I am overjoyed that the Lord decided to paint
our world with color.
Lovely
Bette, your poem is delightful. You write like the new word I just learned. Grandiloquence! I taught school years ago in a very poor neighborhood in the 50’s in San Francisco. One Thanksgiving I asked the children, second grade, to say what they were most thankful for. Without a pause, Freddie said, “Color! All of the colors all around us!” I was so touched. Thank you for taking me back to this long ago favored moment. Color is beauty, yes! Thank you again and again.
A delightful poem that brings to light our world of color and even people of various colors. Love this poem.
Thanks for the reminder of the multitude of colors the Lord has created in our world. Every night I marvel at the beautiful sunsets over Buzzards Bay!
Joyful and uplifting.
Love it!!
What a wonderful reminder of all we have to be thankful for.
Beautiful, thank you, that’s how I feel, too.
What a joy-filled poem! I especially like the way images of light, color, and movement are combined in the third stanza. Thanks for sharing!
Bette, what a joy-filled poem! I especially like the way you combine imagery of light, color, and movement in the third stanza. Thank you for sharing.
Your joy is contagious.Your last stanza leaves us with an interesting thought.