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Sunday, 12 September 2010

The Poetry Bus -- and Haiku #260

(Not sure about this - only just gotten around to it. Dragonfly asked for a poem on a colour.)

Yellow

Most likely colour to disappoint
when decorating a room
but get it right, it will lift your heart --
the colour of sun and moon.

Most likely colour to disappear
in some of its manifestations.
Some hues will fade as flowers in spring
but amber outlasts our adorations.

A colour to savour, a colour that smiles,
a pigment to mix with the brightest and best --
as autumn does, as oranges do.
A beauty of nature, made manifest.

There are yellows more luscious than purples on popes
when adorning the female form
and blessed is the soul that wakes to its light
when it bathes the whole world at the dawn.

There are flowers like the jonquil --
a powerhouse, you'll find --
so blushingly bright...
even seen by the blind.



Frenchmen admitting
themselves a shade below par --
that's in the bedroom

22 comments:

Unknown said...

You have made me re-think my normal reaction to Yellow. It's a colour that I have obviously misjudged :)

A Frenchman admitting he's not on top of things in the boudoir!

Ruth said...

I quite like your poem on yellow. I am surprised that any shade of it is luscious clothing a woman, but perhaps I have not seen the right woman in the mirror. I always think a touch of yellow in a room, such as a bowlful of lemons, is fetching. But you are so right here, that it too often disappoints in decor. But yellow in Nature is irresistible! Amber is the best of it, I adore it too. And warming up photos with yellow is something I often do. Nicely done, the rhyme and rhythm are sweet. Then I get to that last revelatory line, and it takes me somewhere else altogether, a nice reflective place.

Dibakar Sarkar said...

It's nice to yellow my eyes in a new bent...

Totalfeckineejit said...

I like the gallic slacking Haiku and the colourful poem was a delight!

Emerging Writer said...

The first two stanzas are great on their own I think.

CiCi said...

I really like the line about yellow more luscious than purples on popes. And even seen by the blind. Wow. You put some zingers into your poetry. This is one of my favorites on your blog so far.

Carl said...

Lets hear it for the color yellow!

Linda Sue said...

"even seen by the blind" Brilliant, Dave- I love this poem- colour is everything- it has been said that the blind can actually feel the heat or vibration of certain colours...I once saw a painting of moon over lake painted by a man born blind- It was perfect and much more dramatic than any moon over any lake I have ever seen.He said he felt the colours...

Jim Murdoch said...

My office walls are yellow, custard-yellow. Not my choice – they were that colour when we took over the flat and I’ve never bothered to repaint. Most of the walls are hidden behind bookcases and those that aren’t are covered in paintings. It actually works quite well as a background but I think if the living room had been that colour I would’ve needed to have done something about it. I painted the bathroom in my second flat bright yellow. I thought it would be cheerful. It was surprisingly cold. God alone knows what the people who moved in after me thought.

Titus said...

Two gems, and I laughed at both but rather loudly at the last one.
I am very fond of yellow in the decorating department, and my cottage is yellow on the outside too. I was disappointed by the depth of the colour, however...

Pearl said...

I love how you write. I follow along so well, never tripping over your words but always going where you lead.

Nice.

Pearl

Karen said...

Yellow is my favorite color in decorating, and every room in my house is of some shade, from deepest gold to palest creamy yellow. It always lifts my heart! Love your poems. Laughed out loud at the last.

Windsmoke. said...

The only time i like yellow is when nature displays it in full bloom such as the Australian Wattle or Bottle Brush. Using yellow to decorate your dwelling inside or out Yuk!.

Bubba said...

Nice piece, David! I think it emphasizes one of the reasons why dandelions are my favorite flower: Perseverance.

Jinksy said...

There are yellows more luscious than purples on popes

Great lilting rhythm to these words - I had to say them over and over!

Unknown said...

The fourth stanza, with or without the female form is certainly luscious! And Gallic reticence, who'd have thought?!

Peter Goulding said...

I think it needs a bit of working on Dave (sorry!) The rhythm wanders around a bit.
The haiku though is a beauty!

Dave King said...

Gwei
Not A frenchman, but a whacking majority of those surveyed all thought they had problems in that department.

Ruth
It's the actual shade that does it. Nothing wrong with the woman in the mirror I'm sure. You are right about the touch of yellow. It can do wonders for a painting, too.

A friend of ours went blind a year or so ago and it is true, we sent her flowers and she could see the yellow ones. Mostly she only sees silhouettes.

Dibakar
Welcome to my blog and many many thans for commenting.

Totalfeckineejit
Thanks, good to hear.

Emerging Writer
Hi, and very welcome. Thanks for the comment. Very useful.

TechnoBabe
Many thanks for those interesting comments.

Carl
Indeed, a misunderstood colour, I think. Poor thing!

Linda Sue
I can well believe your anecdote,. Fascinating. Thanks.

Jim
The first line was actually suggested to me by our decorator. We had the upper part of the (Half-tiled) bathroom and loo walls painted yellow, which turned out to be very successful, much to his surprise, I think. He made a note of the colour! He also mentioned that 90% of the times he's called back to chamge a colour that the client doesn't like - it's yellow!

Titus
I like the sound of your cottage.

Pearl
Hi and welcome again. Thanks for the lovely compliment.

Karen
Thanks for that - sounds divine!

windsmoke
I agree with you about nature's use. Have to say I only half agree with the rest, though.

Eric Alder
Hi and very welcome - as is the dandelion, another under-rated phenomenon!

Dave King said...

Jinksy
Thanks. Much appreciate the comment.

Derrick
Thanks, but I think I'd prefer to keep the female form! Maybe they are now confident or mature enough to cope with not being perfect...?

Peter
Don't be sorry, you are spot on. I nearly didn't post it for that reason. Thanks for confirming my own thoughts. Very helpful.

Marion said...

Oh, I love your Yellow poem!! I have several rooms painted yellow and you're right: it is hard to get just the right shade. Thanks for riding the Poetry Bus with me! Blessings!

Dave King said...

Marion
Hi Marion and welcome. Many thanks for the comment. Looks like yellow is a colour you love or you hate. Thanks, too, for the prompt.

joaquin carvel said...

"yellow" is brilliant, but "more luscious than purples on popes" is absolutely inspired. fantastic!