A Thing of Beauty

I arrived, quite by chance, in the Valley of Lissing ‘Twas a land of plenty—Only color was missing Except, that is, for the magnificent jewels That gleamed like dazzling, glistening pools Sapphire blue, emerald-green; what a magical feast for the eye! But could only be found in the jewels of the rich when they came strutting by I asked a young gent with jeweled fingers And his nose held high in the air Why, oh why, isn’t there color—color everywhere? Where I come from, grass is as green as jade And the sky becomes blue of every shade! Here the landscapes and seascapes and mountains so high Are drained of all color, with scarce joy for the eye! You’re a crackpot! Scoffed the chap in a high nasal retort Or perhaps a writer of children’s tales, old sport? Replied I, but color should abound everywhere In the flora and fauna and the cool night air! Smiled he, all of your musings are really quite nice Is this your story about paradise? Get real! he went on smugly, eyebrow arched in a curve You must know that drab grays are all the lowly deserve! For God gave the rich colors for gem and jewel Colors for the poor? Don’t be a fool! I arose at dawn to shouts and cheers and a drum’s rumbling boom As gold-crimson light flooded my room Outside young and old greeted the day Dancing and singing and screaming hurray! The colors of jewelry were now everywhere With emerald lawns and gold-yellow hair And sapphire and turquoise in the air! Now sisters and brothers Estranged for years Embraced with joy and bright gem- Like tears. Family feuds which were leading to calamity Gave way to smiles and gestures of amity And the rich in disgust Tossed their jewels away What good were these trinkets anyway? These poor dregs of the earth and their stupid tomfoolery Now have access to colors Nature’s fine jewelry. I wish I could say my story ends here With singing and hugging and words of good cheer But with deep regret I have to say Human nature never works that way For in time all nature’s color failed to impress or cheer Again, the folks feuded year after year And the rich? They acquired more jewels to display And the poor? They envied their jewels all night and all day As we leave behind much grief and illness and fear Remember all those we hold so dear And enter the light as a kind of rebirth And give thanks to our colorful gem of an earth!