The Color Yellow : A Poem
What do I make of the color yellow?
An in-between color to help us mellow.
A lazy lion’s yawn is a great big bellow.
A smiley face emblem giving a silent hello.
Yellow is the effulgent rays of the sun
Beaming its warmth and light on everyone
It hides to signal that our labor is done.
Then it brightens the moon, in darkness leaves none.
Candlelight spreading aroma and fragrance
Dim and soft light as I read about vagrants
Not light enough for a raging party
But a calm, temperate night for tea
A yellow light tells you to “slow it down”
Directing you with painted lines on the ground
Traffic signs and caution tape
Yellow’s meant to keep you safe
Even our bodies use yellow to speak
jaundice or infection, a doctor to seek
Caution tape guarding a person from danger
Or to notify of hazards in case you're a stranger
Yellow is often a time to be chill
Or it’s a sign that your body is ill
Either way, it means resting and relaxation
I’d prefer sandy beaches on a summer vacation
If not, yellow is also glory and goodness
Like the halo of light surrounding Saint Francis
On the paintings of Christ or the Holy Virgin
Crowned with golden spikes like a sea urchin
The golden shimmer of sparkling champagne
The crescent glow as the moon begins to wane
Tall spring sunflowers growing high as can be
Ears of corn to be ground for maize
Yellow is the coolest of all different embers
Yellow is the leaves in late September
When the weather is slowly beginning to cool
And its time for a bonfire in place of the pool
If blue is cold, and red is hot, then yellow is the middle
Its warmth, a happy medium, a slow tune on the fiddle
This color has been the most challenging to write
I spend the most time trying to be wrong or right
Writing about yellow has forced me to center
To spend some more time being calm and tender
Sometimes I am passionate and out of control
Other times I’m distant, like a tormented soul
I want to be yellow, warm, and subtle
Like a bright pleasant day, or a splash in a puddle
I want to mean it when I smile and say hello
What do I make of the color yellow?
