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June 15, 2016

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Photography, Poetry

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43 Comments

The Color of Teachers

IMG_3231

The color of daughters
is spring pink,
a color to open a bud
in the hardest heart.

Fathers are dark blue
like the night sky;
patience brings out stars.

The color of sons
is vivid orange
a color to challenge and
push open closed doors.

The color of teachers is
silver like rain to make
the whole world grow.

The color of mothers
is yellow-bright
to force blooms
and drive out darkness.

A grandparent is lavender,
capable of making a bad day
completely right.

A friend is blueberry,
sweet, earth-round and
toxin-removing.

Hope is the sunrise.
Every color embraces the
gradual lightening.
Birds sing in green.

Love is the rainbow,
with room for all colors
in its bridge of light.

Copyright 2016 Brenda Davis Harsham

Note: This poem uses color to frame feelings about people in our lives. Do you agree with the color choices or does it make you want to write your own poem, with colors you choose? What color would a cousin be? A stepmother? A neighbor? A best friend?

For anyone as upset as I am that in the 912 days since Sandy Hook, there have been 988 mass shootings, you can add your voice to my petition to ban assault weapons here:

http://petitions.moveon.org/embed/widget.html?v=3&name=president-obama-make-10

The petition has taken far too much time this week, and I’ll list this for Poetry Friday. Thanks to Carol Wilcox at Carol’s Corner for hosting. She offers advocacy poetry which a balm to my betrolled soul. Here’s an excerpt from a poem by J. Patrick Lewis and George Ella Lyon:

CREED (SONG)
I am not the you of you
And you are not the me of me
But we’re here in solidarity–
Finish reading here.
poetry friday button

43 thoughts on “The Color of Teachers”

  2. I’d never thought about attributing colours to family and friends..so clever Brenda! My brother would have to be gold, because he’s a star to me…shines the way. My mum would have been soft pink…because she was so soft, in every way, and my dad…green I’m sure, he was a carpenter and loved outdoors. I guess these colours will vary for all of us. You got me thinking! Not sure what colour I’d be….oh wait, yes…Tardis blue….haha…it’s got to be!! Same colour as your background!!! 😀

    Liked by 2 people

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    • I’m so glad you like it. I wish the gun control movement could gain enough momentum to make change happen. It seems likely to be too little otherwise. Not enough. But with all of you, maybe the tide will turn. XOXO

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  10. The rainbow weaves through your poem so beautifully, Brenda. My son is a lot like the one you describe — that stanza in particular spoke to me. (And who doesn’t love blueberry friends?)

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  11. Hey Brenda, what a picture perfect poem!
    We have quite strict gun laws here in Canada, so we don’t have mass shootings like in the US, although there have been a few. We have had attempts at mass stabbings. Also, guns, smuggled in from the US to Canada are finding their way to gang related crimes. I may be Canadian, but I would be happy to see more gun control in the States.

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  12. I loved thinking about each color you chose, Brenda, and because of Father’s Day, especially loved “patience brings out stars.” This is still another petition I hadn’t seen, have sent messages to the White House, and other elected officials. Thanks for it, signed and shared!

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  13. The world needs more people like you who takes a stand to the injustice in the world. I wouldn’t be surprised if your petition worked. It’s time America opened its eyes at all the hate and crime and banned assault weapons. Thank you for the beautiful poem and for taking a stand.

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    • Thank you. New Zealand sound like a beautiful place. I’m glad you’ve added your voice. I hope a ban gets passed, whether my petition succeeds or not. At least I broke my silence and tried to change the world into a better place. Part of the new, more daring me. 🙂 Hugs

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      • I think the ban on guns will pass one day. There’ll come a time where America won’t put up with all that violence in their neighourhood. I also love your poem; that a teacher makes the world grow, a grandparent makes a bad day completely right, and a friend is toxin-removing. Those were the three that stood out for me the most.

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  14. Love the poem. I’ve been wrapped in the love of good friends lately, and I think friends are a deep, warm purple.
    Good work with the petition. I am so sad about the latest shooting, but also angry and dismayed that this keeps happening in the USA> I am very thankful that Australia’s gun control laws seem so effective, but wish they were the same there.

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    • Thanks, Sally. Blueberry is not so far from a deep, warm purple.

      Thanks for your support of my petition. I don’t know why so many people here are sure that guns are not the problem and a ban not the solution. I don’t think gun control legislation will pass without a grassroots movement to counteract the gun lobby. They put out such disinformation as if it’s fact and so many people repeat it as if it’s written in the bible. It’s baffling to me. But I’ve stuck my neck out there, and the mosquitoes are biting. Serves me right, I guess.

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  17. Reblogged this on Rethinking Life and commented:
    Aside from the wonderful poem, Brenda has started a petition to ban assault rifles from the general public. Go to her site and the link is right under her poem. Please…do not be afraid to sign. Many people are terrified of putting their name on things but that is exactly the reason nothing ever changes. Sign the petition asking Obama to ban assault rifles. Everyone complains that they don’t know what to do to stop the violence…Brenda is giving us all a first step. Sign your name now. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

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