Give Me Blue for dVerse Poets

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Give Me Blue

If it is a blue with no sadness in it:
the blue of the sky above Colima Volcano
with no other clouds in it except one puff
of earth’s hot breath becoming visible
in the cool morning air.

If it is a blue
with no middle ground of safety,
nothing that makes it ordinary.
No hue of boredom
or gray cast of age.
No tint of ever ending––
just pure blue
holding its mood in,
letting you feel however you want to feel.

The blue of glass that reflects the sky.
Iris blue and periwinkle.
Cerulean and cobalt.

If it is a blue with not a smudge of green in it,
or yellow or white or black.
Blue-blue like my tue love’s eyes
and like the color that a blueberry Popsicle
should be––its blue dusted by nature
as though frosted, even in the heat of summer.
Like blue caught in icicles.

The color of a jellyfish
or Noxzema jar.
Bluebottle fly, tenacious,
only its color not annoying.
Blue as a shiver. Blue as blood. Blue as Hawaii.

Not the blue of a heart before forgetting.
Not that blue with a lot of
dullness soaked into it.
But if you have Blue as in Australia.
Blue as in a first place ribbon.
Sky blue,
true blue,
never blue.

Blue that if it’s ever had one gram of sadness in it,
doesn’t show it.`
If you have that blue,
and you want to give it to me,
then, sure.

 Give me blue.

for dVerse Poets, the prompt is to write an ekphrastic poem about one of the given Chagall paintings.

27 thoughts on “Give Me Blue for dVerse Poets”

  4. kim881's avatarkim881

    Your ekphrastic poem is steeped in blue, Judy! I love the image of ‘one puffof earth’s hot breath becoming visible in the cool morning air’ and ‘pure blueholding its mood in’.

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      1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

        Aha. I found this: Each element of the classic superstition carries a specific meaning and origin:
        The famous phrase stems from a Victorian-era English rhyme originating in Lancashire. Originally documented in the 1870s as “Something olde, something new, something borrowed, something blue, a sixpence in your shoe,” these items served as talismans meant to bring the bride good luck and protect her from the “evil eye.” [1, 2, 3]

        • Something Old: Represents the bride’s past and her connection to her family. It acts as a token of continuity as she transitions into married life. [1, 2]
        • Something New: Symbolizes optimism, hope, and a successful future for the newlyweds as they begin their life together. [1, 2]
        • Something Borrowed: Traditionally borrowed from someone in a long, happy marriage. It was believed that the good fortune of the owner would “transfer” to the new bride. [1, 2, 3]
        • Something Blue: Dating back to biblical times, blue represents love, purity, and fidelity. Additionally, it was believed to ward off the “evil eye,” which could otherwise curse the bride’s fertility. [1, 2, 3, 4]

        The Forgotten Fifth Line:
        While the saying is popularly known by its first four lines, the traditional rhyme actually concludes with: “and a silver sixpence in her shoe”. This coin was placed in the bride’s left shoe as a symbol of future wealth and financial stability. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

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