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!
Copyright © Robert Gorelick | Year Posted 2021
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