I am not a fan of decorating with artificial/plastic flowers. But my travels today took me past a house where I thought the homeowners got real creative. No doubt like me they have been tired of living in a world without color! They had decorated on both sides of the sidewalk plantings of tulips, irises and other spring flowers. Underneath the front windows were very cheerful looking planter boxes blooming with splashes of color. In fact there was so much color in this whole yard I had all I could do not cause an accident as I stared at such a sight.

In January I wrote in one of my blogs about a book called Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O'Neill. At that time I challenged readers to try writing a poem about purple (remember it was during the Viking playoffs??) So today after looking at this yard I thought about the color green. Perhaps we have not seen it for so long its hard to imagine the color actually being in our world. I thought if one thinks real hard about green it might just become a reality.

So I have started a poem of green things that is a work in progress.

What is Green?

Green is...

Moss covered logs

Budding trees

Newly planted fields

and a fresh coat of paint.

Green is a small leprechaun

Who refuses to share his gold.

Green is envy

Wishing for something one does not need.

Green is the fuzz

that covers where winter has been.

Green is...

Peppermint frosting

Shamrock shakes

Olives in a martini

Caterpillars creeping along

Hiding grasshoppers

And tall grasses.

Green is the color

That ushers in Spring.

I would like to recommend a very sweet book for ages 4-8 called White Rabbit's Color Book by Alan Baker. The main character is a little bunny whose sweet curious personality triggers an imaginative look into learning about primary and secondary colors. It also looks at what can happen when colors are mixed up. Think of the story as an alternative to learning about the color wheel.